Hey! That's My Manga!
by Silver Hyacinth
Summary: In which Will meets Nico at Barnes & Noble, they quarrel over a manga, and an unlikely relationship blossoms. — Great. His last name was literally angel. Will had to admit the name did fit him, though; he really did look like an angel. Albeit a tiny, dark-haired, manga-reading, emo angel.
1. A Fateful Encounter

**A/N:** This is a Solangelo story because I am _IN LOVE_ with that ship XD Enjoy, guys! (Sorry this first chapter was short. The next one will be longer. And I'm planning on doing two Will POVs and then two Nico POVs, in case anyone was wondering. Please feel free to leave corrections, suggestions, and other comments down in the review section, and remember to follow and favorite if you like the story! ^‿^ Grazie!)

* * *

 **1**

 **Will**

* * *

Will whistled under his breath as he headed towards the manga section. It was a bright, sunny Saturday in June, and a new manga series had just come out that was a spin-off series from one of his favorite manga authors. So, of course, he had to have it. Immediately. So that was why he was in Barnes & Noble at two o'clock on a Saturday dressed in jeans and a bright yellow T-shirt.

It wasn't that crowded, surprisingly, and Will made his way towards the manga section without having to dodge around people or displays. He caught a flash of Starbucks and the smell of chocolate and coffee filled his nose, and Will felt his mouth start to water. _There's no one around. I can afford to get some coffee first._ He swerved slightly to get in the Starbucks line, and by the time he had a coffee in his hand, he was feeling even better than he had before.

Rounding the corner, Will's eyes fell upon the manga section, and he caught sight of the sign directing attention towards the new manga series he was after. Directly after the sign, Will saw a short Italian boy dressed all in black reaching out a hand towards the shelf, where one lone book sat dejectedly. _Wait. One book. Hand. Reaching. One book. No._

Will broke into a sprint, struggling to keep his coffee from spilling, and he reached the shelf right as the Italian boy snatched the manga and turned. He walked right past Will, his eyes trained intently on the back of the manga, and Will felt himself fuming with anger. He knew deep down that he should act like a rational person and just deal with it, but he couldn't seem to stop the words that flowed from his lips. "Nē!" he shouted. "Watashi no monodesu!"

The boy stopped dead in his tracks and spun around on his heel, a thin black eyebrow already raised. "Did you just yell at me in Japanese?"

Will crossed his arms. "Yes. Yes, I did."

The boy drifted closer, a smirk across his lips. "Ci dispiace, ma non sarò dando questo a voi."

Will felt his heart quiver hearing the boy speak fluent Italian, and for the first time, he seemed to notice how handsome he was. His hair was curly and a dark black, his skin caramel-colored, and long, thick black lashes framed eyes the color of dark chocolate. His black T-shirt and aviator jacket hung off his slim frame, but his black jeans hugged his legs, and his black sneakers were dwarfed by Will's own sandals.

Will finally found his voice. "Um, sorry for shouting at you." Blushing, he rested a hand on the back of his neck. "That manga is just… well, it's by one of my favorite authors, and I've been really excited about it."

"Well, now I feel guilty," the boy said teasingly, his smirk widening. Will swallowed back his blush. "You— You can take it. I— I'm good." _How am I supposed to deal with this gorgeous Italian angel boy? I wasn't expecting_ him _when I got out of bed this morning…_

"Anyway, I'm Nico. Nico di Angelo."

"Will Solace," Will said, accepting Nico's handshake. _Great. His last name is_ literally _angel_ , Will thought exasperatedly.

He had to admit the name did fit him, though; he really _did_ look like an angel. Albeit a tiny, dark-haired, manga-reading, emo angel.

"Solace as in… comfort?" Nico asked, clearly amused. Will blushed. "Ē to…"

Nico grinned. "There! You did it again!"

Will jumped. "Wh-what?"

"You broke into Japanese." Nico studied him. "You do that often?"

"Well…" Will gave a nervous laugh. "I guess it's a habit. My dad speaks a lot of different languages around the house, so I guess I just… pick them up. And that with the anime and manga…"

Nico laughed, and the sound was like bells. "Ah, so did you understand what I said earlier, then?"

"Um…" Will frowned. "I think it was along the lines of… 'Sorry, but I won't give it to you'?"

Nico grinned. "Very good. And yes, I won't be giving it to you."

Will was immediately annoyed. "Well, I said you could take it, didn't I, ghost boy?"

"Ghost boy?" Nico questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Will gestured at the ghost outline on his shirt. "Yes, _ghost boy_."

"Well, _sunshine_ ," Nico said, looking up at Will through those thick lashes, "it was never yours to give to me, was it?"

"You— I—" Will stuttered, before trailing off. _Dammit, he's right. He did grab it before me… I don't even know why I picked a fight. It's not like me at all. But what's with this 'sunshine' crap? Well… I guess I did give_ him _a nickname, so it's only fair…_ "I'm sorry," Will said, crestfallen and embarrassed. "I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"It's no trouble," Nico said. "Hey, got a pen?"

"Um…" Will fumbled around in his pockets until he produced a small blue pen, handing it to Nico. The smaller boy grabbed his wrist and uncapped the pen with his teeth, scrawling out ten numbers on his skin. He capped the pen, tossing it back to Will before turning and slipping his hands in the over-sized pockets of his jacket. "Call me sometime," he said, tossing Will a smirk over his shoulder. "Maybe I'll let you borrow it."

Will stood there for several moments, staring at the spot Nico had been. "Nani… Tada nani dohshitano?"

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Nē! Watashi no monodesu! = Hey! That's my manga!

 **-** Ci dispiace, ma non sarò dando questo a voi. = Sorry, but I won't be giving this to you.

 **-** Ē to... = Uh...

 **-** Nani... Tada nani dohshitano? = What... What just happened?


	2. What To Do?

**A/N:** I was surprised/happy by all the positive responses I got for this, so here's the next chapter :D Ricordatevi di rivedere se vi è piaciuto! ^‿^

Oh, I almost forgot; This chapter is mostly texting (wink), so here's a little guide to let you know who's who;

 **Bold** = Nico

 _Italics_ = Will

Underlined = Lou

* * *

 **2**

 **Will**

* * *

It was late Sunday night when Will finally got up the courage to contact Nico. He couldn't bring himself to call (he felt he would crumble at that gods be damned sexy Italian accent), so he texted instead.

 _9:21 PM - Hey_

 **9:22 PM - Let me guess; Solace?**

 _9:22 PM - Er, yeah..._

 **9:23 PM - Texting about the manga, I presume?**

 _9:24 PM - Yes, actually_

 **9:24 PM - Thought so. It's very good. Reading it now**

 _9:25 PM - Ha ha, very funny_

 **9:26 PM - No, really. It's VERY good**

 _9:26 PM - -_-_

 **9:27 PM - Oh, relax; I never said I wouldn't lend it to you**

 _9:27 PM - So you will, then?_

 **9:28 PM - Never said that either**

 _9:29 PM - I don't follow_

 **9:30 PM - Sunshine, it's obvious to me that you want this manga very badly. Now, why would I ever let you have it for free?**

 _9:30 PM - What? You want me to pay you or something?_

Will was starting to get slightly annoyed when his phone dinged with Nico's response.

 **9:32 PM - Guess again~**

 _9:33 PM - Er... Manual labor? Public embarrassment? A manservant? A Maserati?_

 **9:34 PM - You must be very rich to afford a Maserati, sunshine. And no; I want none of these things**

 _What? What the hell does he want?!_ Will thought angrily, violently typing out a response.

 _9:35 PM - What do you want then?_

 **9:36 PM - It's a surprise~ Meet me at my house tomorrow and I'll tell you**

Slightly scared, Will gulped. _Uh oh... What could he be planning?_

 _9:38 PM - I just met you today, you know_

 **9: 38 PM - What? Don't you trust me?**

 _9:39 PM - Well, no_

 **9:40 PM - Ah, sunshine, I'm hurt. I can 100% assure you I am neither a murderer nor kidnapper**

Will sighed loudly. He believed him, of course, but he got the feeling that Nico was devious, and he was still very worried about going to his house; his home territory.

 **9:41 PM - Also, my older sister will be there to assure I don't kidnap you and keep you tied up in the basement**

 _9:42 PM - Oh... Well, I guess that's fine, then..._

 **9:43 PM - Great. Be at 423 Pomegranate Lane at 6 tomorrow**

 _9:43 PM - Like... 6 AM?_

 **9:44 PM - Gods no. Are you insane?**

 _9:45 PM - Alright, alright, I get it; 6 PM_

 **9:46 PM - Fantastico, Solace. I'll see you then**

 _9:47 PM - Goodnight then..._

 **9:48 PM - B** **uonanotte** **, luce del sole~**

* * *

Will stared down at his phone screen for several long seconds. "I can't believe that just happened... I need to text Lou about this." He picked up his phone again and clicked on his best friend's number.

 _9:51 PM - Lou, emergency_

9:51 PM - What happened? Are you hurt? Do I have to come kick some asses? ARE YOU IN A TRUNK, WILL?!

 _9:52 PM - No, Lou, calm down! I'm not hurt, you don't have to kick any asses, and I am definitely NOT in a trunk_

9:53 PM - Well, spill. You scared me to death, bae

 _9:54 PM - I kinda ran into someone at B &N yesterday..._

9:55 PM - What? Who? It wasn't those damn Stolls, was it?

 _9:56 PM - No. It was this Italian guy, maybe like a year younger than us_

9:57 PM - Wait... He doesn't have, like, these chocolatey doe eyes, and curly black hair, does he?

 _9:58 PM - Yeah, actually. Do you know him?_

9:59 PM - Nico di Angelo. Silena's little sister, Lacy, goes to school with him

 _10:00 PM - Wait, really? So you can confirm that he is not a murderer/kidnapper?_

10:01 PM - Um... not sure I wanna know why you're asking that, Will~

 _10:02 PM - Well, he kinda invited me over to his house tomorrow..._

After Lou didn't text back, Will frowned, but then jumped as his phone rang. Seeing that it was Lou, he answered, only to have to hold the phone away from his ear as she shouted, "WILL FUCKING SOLACE WHAT THE _FUCK_ HAPPENED YESTERDAY?!"

"Lou," Will said, wincing, " _please_ don't yell like that."

"Sorry, babe, but what the _literal_ hell happened? Nico fucking Angel Boy _asked you out on a date_?!"

"Er, I wouldn't exactly call it a _date_..." Will said, frowning.

"Are you or are you not going over to his house?"

"Yes, but—"

"Did he or did he not invite you there?"

"Well, he invited me..."

"And when is it taking place?"

"Six PM."

"WILL, YOU ARE SO STUPID, IT'S A FUCKING DATE."

"Alright, fine! Stop yelling!"

"Sorry. But seriously, Will, bae, it's a date. You have a date with a fine-ass little emo Italian angel baby."

Will blushed at the description. "But... I've never been on a date before..."

"Will, my poor, romantically awkward baby boy! I'm coming over ASAP!"

"But—" Will sighed and threw the phone on the bed; she'd already hung up.

* * *

About five minutes later, there was a tap at Will's window, and he walked over to let his best friend in. Lou sat down on the bed and patted the mattress, and Will sat down with a sigh. "Now," she said when they were settled, "what are you wearing?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know? I mean, can't I just dress normally?"

Lou smacked him lightly on the head. "No, Will, you may not! When I'm done with you, you're going to be cute enough to make di Angelo want to cuddle you like a little baby kitten."

"But I don't _want_ to be cuddled like a little baby kitten," Will protested as Lou got up and dragged him towards his closet. She held a finger to his lips. "Shh, baby, no talking. Let me make you look pretty."

Will sighed as Lou threw open the closet doors and started picking things out and draping them over her arm. When she had at least twenty pieces of clothing in her arms, she kicked the door shut and dumped it all on the bed. "Okay, stand up straight with your arms out," she ordered, and Will complied, knowing there was nothing he could do when Lou got motivated like this.

She had gotten through half the pile of clothes when she held up a pale yellow sweater and gasped. "Oh, gods yes, this one is _perfect_! And with these..."—she held up a pair of jeans—"Yes!"

"It's _June_!" Will protested, looking at her like she was crazy. "I'm not wearing _a sweater_ in _June_!"

"Oh, don't worry," Lou said, waving a hand dismissively. "Lacy went over there to work on a project once, and she said Nico's dad keeps the house at, like, forty degrees. Trust me; you'll need this."

Will deflated. "Fine, I guess. But with navy jeans?"

"Do not question my fashion sense, young Padawan," Lou scolded. "These with your navy beanie will look _fantastique_!"

"A beanie, too?" Will asked, raising his eyebrows. "A little overboard, don't you think?"

"Nope," Lou said happily. "It only adds to the cuteness! Now, I better get home or my parents will freak. Wear this tomorrow, and call me _the second_ you get home!" She opened the window and stuck one leg out. "I want _all_ the details!" she added with a wink before she was shimmying down the tree and running off across the lawn.

Will collapsed back on his bed amid the masses of clothes with a sigh, closing his eyes. "What have I gotten myself into?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Next time is a Nico chapter! Yay! XD

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Buonanotte, luce del sole. - Goodnight, sunshine.

 **-** Fantastico. = Fantastic.

 **-** Fantastique. = Fantastic.


	3. The Date: Part 1

**A/N:** Finally the first Nico chapter! Enjoy, guys, and remember to follow, favorite, and review if you like the story!

Also, more texting, so here ya go;

 **Bold** = Nico

 _Italics_ = Will

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

* * *

 **3**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico woke on Monday with about three thousand texts from his best friend, Jason.

 **6:36 AM - I just heard from Percy, who heard from Annabeth, who heard from Pipes, who heard from Silena Beauregard, who heard from Lou Ellen that you got asked out by Will Solace. Details, Nico!**

 **6:40 AM - Neeks, text me immediately!**

 **6:47 AM - NICOOOOO**

 **6:51 AM - NICO DI ANGELO IF YOU DO NOT CALL ME THIS INSTANT I WILL SNEAK INTO YOUR ROOM AND BLAST YOU WITH A FIRE HOSE!**

 **7:00 AM - Okay, the fire hose thing was a bit extreme, but seriously; CALL ME!**

 **8:01 AM - It's now been an hour, and I've come to the conclusion that you're probably asleep. Call me when you wake up!**

 **9:12 AM - Nico, seriously, it's past nine, what's wrong with you**

 **9:45 AM - Neeks, I'm seriously worried about you if you sleep in this late every day**

 **10:22 AM - Really, Nico? Really? Don't you have a date today?**

Nico rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose irritably as he dialed Jason's number slowly, yawning as he held the phone to his ear. It didn't even have a chance to ring twice before Jason was shouting, "JESUS CHRIST, NICO, IT'S ABOUT TIME!"

"Di Dio, Jason, you don't have to shout," Nico muttered, pushing himself to a sitting position against his headboard.

"Nico, it's almost eleven thirty! You slept for, like, fourteen hours!"

"Really, only fourteen?" Nico asked. "I usually get at least sixteen."

Jason was silent for several seconds. "I honestly can't tell if you're serious. But anyway, what about a date with Will Solace?!"

Nico sighed and rubbed a finger across his eyes. "Yeah, I ran into him at Barnes & Noble yesterday. He wanted this manga, and I had already picked it up, so of course I was going to fuck with him a little. So I gave him my number and told him to call me, and maybe I'd let him borrow it."

"Damn," Jason said, approval in his tone. "Nice, Nico."

"Yes, I know. Anyway, he texted me last night, and I told him I'd only let him borrow it if he came over to my house."

Jason whistled. "When'd _you_ get so smooth?"

"I've always been this smooth," Nico protested. "I just... don't show it that often!"

Jason snorted. "Sure. Anyway, _please_ tell me you're not going to dress all emo-ey for your date?"

"What's wrong with how I dress?" Nico asked defensively, glaring at his wall in the place of Jason.

"Nothing! It's just, most of them have skulls on them. Or ghosts. Or sassy remarks. And all of them are black. But, ya know, if you're cool with that, then..."

"I am, thank you very much," Nico huffed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to eat breakfast."

"Lunch," Jason corrected, and Nico huffed as he hung up on him.

* * *

After Nico had gotten some food in him, he felt significantly better, and he remembered his plans for that night. Smirking, he walked around gathering all the candles he could find, lining them up on every available surface. He got a large soft blanket and spread it out on the couch, along with a few pillows. He placed the remote on the side table and went into the kitchen to prepare the rest.

He'd decided on going full-out, just to make Solace squirm. After all, he was making it just _too_ easy. So Nico had planned on a home movie date, and the candles were just for mood lighting. He already had a ton of candy and junk food in the house, because his dad wasn't a fan of cooking, so he had plenty of snack food for them to eat.

After everything was in bowls, Nico set it all out on the coffee table and surveyed his work with a smirk. ((Lol, that rhymed :p)) Satisfied, he went back upstairs to change.

* * *

At five forty-five that night, Nico was lounging around on the couch wearing black jeans and a long-sleeved, plain black shirt, his feet covered by fuzzy black socks. He'd already gotten together tons of movies from his dad's vast collection, and also had a ton of anime on his list for them to browse through since Will obviously loved it as much as him.

A knock sounded at the door, and Nico raised an eyebrow as he got up to answer it. And, lo and behold, there stood Will Solace, wearing a light yellow sweater, jeans, and a beanie. _In summer_. Nico smirked at him, stepping aside and waving him inside. "You're early, Solace. That eager to see me?"

"Um, why are all the lights off?" Will asked nervously, clearly avoiding the question. "And why are there lit candles everywhere? That's a fire hazard, you know!"

Nico watched him, amused. "I like the dark. Take off your shoes and follow me."

Will did as instructed, and Nico lead him to the couch. "Make yourself comfortable, sunshine."

Sitting down on the couch, Will looked around, and Nico sat beside him, enjoying the clear nervousness written across his face. "So, is this... a date?" Will asked suddenly, his eyes flicking over to meet Nico's. Nico only grinned. "Chiamatela come volete." He snatched the remote from the side table and turned on the TV. "So, what do you want to watch? I've got tons of movies, and also streaming on Netflix."

"Netflix?" Will was silent for a few seconds. "Can we watch... Merlin?" he asked quietly, Nico barely caught the words.

"Merlin?" Nico asked, surprised. " _You_ like Merlin?"

"Yes," Will said defensively. "Why? Is that bad?"

"No," Nico said, sitting back and flipping through the shows on his list till he found Merlin. "I love that show, actually. I just thought you were an anime freak."

"I am," Will said, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to his chest. "I just happen to be a side-connoisseur of British TV shows."

Nico felt his heart skip a beat. _That... was weird,_ he thought, clicking on episode one of Merlin. _I thought I was just messing with him. I didn't think I was_ _actually_ _interested in him..._

As the episode started, Will shivered, and Nico shook himself out of his thoughts, grabbing the blanket. "Cold?" Will nodded, and Nico spread it over both their laps. "Sorry, but we'll have to share it. I don't have many throw blankets."

"That's fine," Will said quickly, and they turned their attention to the show.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yassss, I'm so happy with this chapter :p

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Di Dio. = Gods.

 **-** Chiamatela come volete. = Call it what you want / Call it what you will.


	4. The Date: Part 2

**A/N:** I'm back w/ another chapter, and I hope you guys are excited! (A little short, meh D:)

A little bit o' textin' in this chapter, so here;

 **Bold** = Nico

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 _Underlined and italics_ = Hazel

* * *

 **4**

 **Nico**

* * *

It was about ten PM now, and they'd made their way through a few episodes of Merlin, and almost half of Blue Exorcist. To Nico's embarrassment, they had curled up together under the blanket, seeing as how it was about thirty degrees in the house. Will's beanie was askew on his head, and his eyes were starting to look a little droopy.

Nico wanted to tell him to go home, but he didn't, at the same time. Plus, it was so comfortable under the blanket, with Will's heat pressed against him. Even though they'd met only two days ago, Nico felt as though he could trust Will, which both scared and excited him all at once. Plus, it was kinda nice having a boy whose body felt like a hot water bottle, especially when Nico's dad, Hades, kept the house at nearly twenty degrees in summer.

About halfway through episode fourteen of Blue Exorcist, Will's head fell onto Nico's shoulder. Nico did nothing, too scared to move or even breath. He stayed like that for five more minutes, and then everything got worse when Will's head fell from his shoulder and into his lap.

Nico immediately freaked out, but he could tell Will was asleep and didn't want to wake him up, but at the same time, the entire upper half of a hot blond boy was resting on his lap, and he had no clue what to do about it. Pausing the TV, Nico carefully pulled his phone from his pocket and texted the first number he saw.

 **10:23 PM - Hazel help**

 _10:24 PM - Nico? What's wrong?_

 **20:25 PM - There's a cute blond guy in my house, and Bianca was supposed to be here the whole night, but she left, and now I'm alone here, and he just fell asleep in my lap, help!**

 _10:35 PM - Okay, calm down. Who is this "cute blond guy"?_

 **10:36 PM - Will Solace**

 _10:37 PM - OMG, really?!_

 **10:38 PM - Yes, really! Now get to the helping part!**

 _10:39 PM - Sorry, I just didn't know he was gay_

 **10:40 PM - Well, neither did I, until he FELL ASLEEP ON ME! I thought he just wanted manga!**

 _10:41 PM - Um... okay? And calm down!_

 **10:42 PM - I'm TRYING! But it's very difficult when there's 106 pounds of cuteness in my lap! He's wearing a beanie, Hazel, A FUCKING BEANIE!**

 _10:43 PM - Okay, okay. Have you asked Jason, because I have no idea what to do_

 **10:44 PM - No, I haven't. I'll go ask him now! Thanks, Hazel!**

Nico opened Jason's messages.

 **10:46 PM - Jason I need help NOW**

 **10:47 PM - What happened? Is Will dead? Have you been kidnapped? Is someone dead and/or kidnapped?!**

 **10:48 PM - It's worse! Will is asleep! On my LAP!**

 **10:50 PM - Um, I'm confused. Isn't that good?**

 **10:51 PM - NO!**

 **10:52 PM - Why? I thought you were on a date?**

 **10:53 PM - Well, yes, but I was kind of just messing with him, and now he's asleep on my lap and it's almost eleven and nobody is home except us and what am I supposed to do, just let him sleep on me all night?!**

 **10:54 PM - Neeks, calm down. Why don't you just wake him up?**

Nico frowned down at the phone.

 **10:56 PM - Well... He's kinda... cute... when he's sleeping...**

 **10:57 PM - Then for God's sake, Nico, JUST LET THE BOY SLEEP ON YOU!**

 **10:58 PM - But... won't he be mad when he wakes up?**

 **10:59 PM - No. Neeks, he wants the damn manga, right? Well, he came over of free will and fell asleep on you of free will. So nothing can be pinned on you**

 **11:00 PM - C** **he cosa?! T** **he hell is that supposed to mean?! You think something's going to happen?!**

 **11:01 PM - Oh, nooo. 2 gay guys sleeping on each other in a dark, empty house, completely alone? No waaaaaayyyy would anything EVER happen**

 **11:02 PM - -_- I really hate you, Jason. And I don't even know if he's gay or not!**

 **11:03 PM - Love you too Neeks :) (And yeah; he's definitely gay, kiddo.)**

Will shifted on Nico's lap, rolling onto his side.

 **11:06 PM - Merda! I think he's waking up! Gotta go! (And don't fucking call me kiddo, Jason.)**

He tossed the phone to the side as Will rubbed his eyes and yawned, shifting to look up at Nico. "Nico?" he murmured, blinking sleepily (and adorably). "Why'd y' turn off th' TV?"

"Oh, uh, you were asleep," Nico said, shifting under Will nervously.

"Oh," Will said with a yawn. "Well, ya can keep it on. I dun' mind."

A blush crept up Nico's neck. "So, you're going back to sleep, then?"

"Ye'h," Will said through yet another yawn. "Y're comfy." With that, he closed his eyes and was asleep again.

Nico's face was probably about as red as a tomato about now, but he gulped and reluctantly flipped on the TV again, scrolling to a random show and turning it on (it wasn't like he could focus with Solace on his lap, after all). After a while, he forced himself to relax, and Will hummed happily in his sleep, crawling farther onto Nico's lap and curling up like a cat with only his legs still resting on the couch.

Nico tried to focus on the TV. He really did. But Will's blond hair kept distracting him. It caught the light of the TV, appearing almost white at times, and as dark as gold others. Nico was transfixed by it; by the hair of a stranger that he'd only met two days ago. That was still surprising to him. They barely knew each other, and yet, Will was sleeping on him, and Nico was being more open and teasing with him then he had been with Jason when they first became friends.

Nico tried to focus back on the TV, but he found himself getting tired, and his eyes started drooping. _I'll just... rest for.. a second,_ he thought, yawning. As soon as his eyes slipped closed, he was asleep.

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Che cosa? = What?

 **-** Merda! = Shit!


	5. The Date: Part 3

**A/N:** I am so in love with this story, and the feedback is all so positive and wonderful, so here's another chapter for you lovelies ^-^

* * *

 **5**

 **Will**

* * *

Will woke with something soft pressed against him. It was very comfortable, and he snuggled closer to it, yawning. He wasn't entirely sure where he was, but wherever it was, it was nice and comfortable, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to get up and face Nico and— _Wait a second. Nico...?_

His eyes snapped open, and Will found himself nose to nose with a sleeping Italian boy. He almost jumped, but then he remembered everything that had happened. _Date with Nico... watching TV... fell asleep... Oh gods._ Will's face turned a bright shade of pink and he looked around, trying to gauge his surroundings. He remembered distinctly that his head had fallen into Nico's lap, and then he'd fallen asleep. But obviously their positions had shifted during the night, because Will now slept on the inside edge of the couch, with Nico curled up on the outside, facing him, their legs tangled together, and Nico's thin arms wrapped firmly around Will's middle.

Obviously, Will's subconscious mind was out to get him.

Suddenly, there was the _snap!_ of a camera going off, and Will's head whipped up to see a tall, pretty Italian girl snickering, holding a camera. The sound of her laughing woke Nico, and he blinked sleepily and looked up at Will through those gods be damned thick eyelashes. Will had to hold back a blush.

"Will?" Nico asked sleepily. "Wha's going on?"

"Um, I'm assuming the girl with the camera who's laughing maniacally is your older sister?" Will offered as an answer. Nico's head snapped around and his gaze turned dark, and suddenly he was running off, leaving Will shivering in his absence as he chased his sister around yelling threats in Italian. "Bianca, se non mi dai quella macchina fotografica, giuro che ti ucciderò!"

His sister—Biana, Will gathered—laughed and shouted back, "L'unico posto questa fotocamera sta andando è in nella mia stanza così posso metterlo su Facebook!"

"Non avete il coraggio!" Nico screeched and, based on his high-pitched tone, Will guessed Bianca had just threatened something bad.

"Certo che faccio vedere papà prima!" Bianca shouted in answer, and Nico's running became even more panicked as his sister flung herself around the banister and raced up the stairs.

Will could hear Nico shout, "No, Bianca, si prega di non farlo!" before his voice faded out completely.

"Well then..." he said slowly, straightening into a sitting position. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Just then Nico came storming back down the stairs, fuming and red in the face. "Stupido Bianca. Non posso credere che chiuse a chiave la porta! Idiota!"

"Um, hey, Nico..." Will said hesitantly as the boy sat down heavily on the couch with his arms crossed. "What was all that yelling in Italian about?"

"Mia sorella stupida," Nico answered, glaring at the ground. "She says she is going to post that picture to Facebook!"

"What?" Will exclaimed, squeezing a nearby pillow to his chest to stop himself from panicking. "No, she can't!" _Oh, gods, Lou would flip..._

"That's what I was saying!" Nico said angrily. "But she locked her door on me."

"You—" Will gulped. "You don't think she'll actually post it, do you?"

Nico slumped back against the couch. "Knowing her... it could go either way."

"Well, let's just hope she doesn't," Will said anxiously. "Anyway, I'm starving. What do you have to eat around here?"

Nico looked at him incredulously. "You're eating breakfast here, too?"

"Yes," Will huffed, standing and making his way towards what appeared to be the kitchen. "It's the least you could do."

"The least _I_ could do?" Nico asked irritably, standing and chasing after him. " _You're_ the one who spent the night here."

"Yes, and you didn't seem to be protesting that much, seeing as how you were _hugging me like a stuffed animal_!" Will snapped back, pulling open the fridge. "Quae est infernum? There's hardly anything in here!"

Nico paused. "Did you just speak Latin?"

" _Immo_!" Will responded, whirling around on the smaller boy. "Now, where's all the food?"

Nico held a hand to the back of his neck. "Er, well, my family isn't really skilled with cooking, so..."

Will was taken aback. His family had always been one to gather around the table and eat a huge breakfast of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, but he supposed not everyone's family operated like that. He frowned, suddenly taking notice of how thin and skeletal Nico looked. He pinched the boy's forearm. "Nico, you're so tiny! When was the last time you had a big meal?"

Nico swatted his hand away irritably. "None of your business, Solace."

Putting his hands on his hips, Will leaned forward and glared at Nico disapprovingly. The boy flinched, looking away. "Stop that! It's unsettling..."

"You need to eat something," Will insisted. "You're so th—"

"Nico."

Will jumped and spun around to face a tall, lanky man, who seemed to tower above him. He had dark hair and obsidian eyes and was dressed in a loose black robe, gray sweats, and a black T-shirt, a coffee mug with a skull on it in his left hand. Will was fairly sure his mouth was flapping uselessly, and a feeling of intimidation crept over him.

"Oh, buon giorno, papà," Nico said. Will whipped around to give him a look like, This _is your dad?_ (Which is honestly what he was thinking.)

"Nico, who is this?" Nico's dad asked, and Will turned back around to see him giving him a curious but threatening look. Will gulped.

"This is Will Solace," Nico said, stepping up beside Will, which helped him calm down slightly, although he was still terrified. "Will, this is my father, Hades."

"Will Solace?" Hades asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know your father."

"Y-you d-d-do?" Will stuttered, wringing his hands nervously.

Hades grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, making him jump. "Oh, relax, boy. I don't bite. Your father and I are quite good friends, actually."

Surprised, Will looked up at him. "Really?"

"Yes," Hades said simply, releasing him and stepping past his son to take a seat at the table. He said nothing more, and Will looked at Nico questioningly. Nico only shrugged and sat down beside his father. Will slowly sat down beside Nico, unsure of what to do next.

* * *

About an hour later, after they had eaten—Hades ordered Chinese, because it turned out Will and Nico had slept till nearly eleven—Will amended that it was probably time for him to head home, because his dad was probably having an aneurysm.

So he stood at the door awkwardly. He kinda felt like he should give Nico a hug or something since they _had_ just slept together on a couch all night, but with Hades creeping in the archway to the kitchen, he only gulped, said an awkward goodbye, and left.

It was only once he was halfway home that he realized he hadn't even gotten the manga.

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Bianca, se non mi dai quella macchina fotografica, giuro che ti ucciderò! = Bianca, if you don't give me that camera, I swear I'll kill you!

 **-** L'unico posto questa fotocamera sta andando è in nella mia stanza così posso metterlo su Facebook! = The only place this camera is going is my room so I can put it on Facebook !

 **-** Non avete il coraggio! = Don't you dare!

 **-** Certo che faccio vedere papà prima! = Of course, I'll show Dad first!

 **-** No, Bianca, si prega di non farlo! = No, Bianca, please don't!

 **-** Stupido Bianca. Non posso credere che chiuse a chiave la porta! Idiota! = Stupid Bianca! I can't believe she locked the door! Idiot!

 **-** Mia sorella stupida. = My stupid sister.

 **-** Quae est infernum? = What the hell?

 **-** Immo! = Yes!

 **-** Oh, buon giorno, papà. = Oh, good morning, Dad.


	6. Will Needs Help—Deserately!

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter, and a big thanks to KittyKofficial for asking for more Lou, because I love Lou just as much as you guys (she's so sassilicious!) and I do plan on including her a lot more in the next few chapters! (Also, a _huge_ thanks to everyone who's leaving reviews! Although I can't respond to them right now due to errors, I promise I will respond to them when this problem is fixed.)

As always, here's the texting guide;

 **Bold** = Nico

 _Italics_ = Will

Underlined = Lou

* * *

 **6**

 **Will**

* * *

The second Will walked in the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, there was no one around. _Maybe Dad is still asleep_ , Will thought, not quite believing his luck. Creeping up the stairs, Will made it safely to his room and closed his bedroom door, resting his forehead against the door and letting out the breath he'd been holding. _Safe._

"Young man, where do you think you've been?"

Will jumped and spun around, but let out a relieved breath when he noticed it was only Lou. "Oh, Lou, it's just you. You scared me for a second."

Lou, who had her arms crossed and was giving Will a stern look, raised an eyebrow. "Will, details. _Now_."

Noticing how serious his friend looked, Will held up his hands. "Okay, okay."

They sat down on Will's bed, and Lou immediately grabbed one of his (ironically) sun-shaped pillows. "Okay, bae, tell me _everything_. And don't you _dare_ leave _anything_ out!"

Sighing, Will also grabbed a pillow and hugged it to his chest. "Well... nothing _really_ happened. But...we did kinda... sleep together..."

" _WHAT_?!" Lou's shout practically rocked the house, and Will quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. " _Lou_! _Shh_! You'll wake my dad!"

She slapped his hand away. "Sorry. But go back to the part about you _sleeping together_?!"

Will winced. "Ugh, maybe I should've phrased it better..."

"Will, you didn't, like..." Lou made a few weird gestures, " _you know_ with him, did you?"

Will made a face, his cheeks bright red. "Ewww, Lou, _no_!"

Lou let out a breath. "Good, because if some sassy little Italian deflowered my baby Will, I was gonna have to kick his ass."

"Nothing like... _that_ happened," Will stressed, blushing redder. 'I just fell asleep on him. That was it. And there might've been a little... cuddling. _Unintentional_ cuddling!" he added when Lou opened her mouth with a glint in her eye. She closed it, looking slightly disappointed. "So there's no dirty details?"

"No. I fell asleep on him, I woke up, I ate lunch, I left. _End_ of story."

Lou frowned. "But I thought you wanted something? I heard from Silena, who heard from Piper McLean, who heard from her boyfriend, Jason Grace, that you wanted a manga from him or something?"

"Jason Grace?" Will asked, confused. "How would he know about that?"

"Apparently he's, like, Nico's best friend."

"Oh," Will said, frowning. "But yes, I _did_ want a manga, but when we woke up, everything was pretty hectic. His older sister took a picture of our, erm, _unintentional cuddling_ , and threatened to post it on Facebook, and there was a lot of rapid-fire yelling in Italian, and then she locked herself in her room, and then I went to the kitchen because I was starving, but there was, like, _no_ food, because _apparently_ no one in Nico's family is gifted with cooking, and the topic of food made me notice how _thin_ Nico is—seriously, have you _seen_ him?—and _of course_ I went all _doctor_ on him, and then his dad showed up, and..." Will took a deep breath. "And let me tell you, that man is like... like... a Greek god or something! I tell you, the whole family is fucking _gorgeous_! It's unsettling!"

Lou patted Will's shoulder soothingly. "Calm down, babe. So basically what I'm hearing is; the whole date was for nothing?"

Will groaned and buried his face in his pillow.

"Oh, I'm not helping, am I? I'll just go. Text me when you feel better, okay? I'll try to talk to Jason Grace and see what I can do, okay?"

"Okay," Will agreed, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Thanks, Lou."

* * *

A while later, Will had sufficiently calmed himself down, and was able to pull his head away from the pillow it'd been in for the last ten minutes. _Might as well take a shower_ , Will thought, sighing and stretching. _I smell like Nico._ And while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing—in fact, Nico smelled rather nice, actually; like rosemary and something almost like a sugar cookie—it brought up feelings Will _definitely_ didn't want to think about just then, especially since he still had to figure out a way to get the manga.

But right as Will was pulling his sweater over his head, his phone buzzed with a new text. He tossed the sweater on his bed and picked up his phone to see a text from none other than Nico di Angelo himself.

 **12:47 PM - You forgot your manga, sunshine~**

Will stiffened. _Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods. Okay, calm down, Will. Calm down and respond._ He took a deep breath and turned back to his phone.

 _12:49 PM - I know_

 **12:50 PM - Well I guess there's only one thing we can do, isn't there?**

 _Um, what's that?_ Will typed, slightly afraid.

 _12:51 PM - Um, what's that?_

 **12:52 PM - You'll have to come over and get it.**

Will stared down at the screen for several seconds. Then he proceeded to fall back on the bed. He threw the phone to the opposite end and stared at it like it was a snake about to bite him. "Did he just ask me out?" he murmured to himself, throwing an arm over his eyes. "That sounded _a lot_ like he was asking me out. _Again_."

A loud, insistent beeping made him jump, and Will picked up his phone and clicked "accept" without even thinking. The FaceTime call pended for about three seconds before Will actually read the caller ID. He scrambled to press end, but three more seconds, and it was too late. Nico raised an eyebrow at Will. "You look flustered, sunshine. Are you..." Nico stopped mid-sentence as his eyes flicked downwards. "Solace..." he said slowly, his cheeks tinged pink, "why are you not wearing a shirt?"

Will squealed and dropped his phone, covering his bare chest with his hands even though the Italian could no longer see him. "Shit, shit, shit, _shit_ ," Will panicked, grabbing for the sweater he'd dropped on the bed. He slid it over his head and took a deep breath before grabbing the phone again. He met Nico's eyes, his own cheeks pink. 'Let's pretend that never happened, okay?"

"Um, sure..." Nico said slowly. "Anyway, I only called because you didn't respond. I was worried, Solace." His teasing tone was back, and Will couldn't help but be slightly annoyed, aside from being flustered, of course.

"Nico, I'm coming over to your house tomorrow, and I'm taking that manga."

"Fine," Nico said, smirking. "Come get it, Solace."

Will blushed slightly at Nico's thick, flirty tone (made even thicker and flirtier by his Italian accent) before Nico was hanging up and Will found himself looking at a blank screen.

Picking up his phone, unable to form coherent thoughts, Will texted the one person he could think of.

 _1:04 PM - Lou, come over. I need you_

It took only a second for her reply to pop up on the screen.

1:04 PM - Be right there.

* * *

 **A/N:** No translations for this chapter, but I did deliver on the Lou/Will interactions! Hope you guys liked the chapter! :)


	7. Nico Needs To Get A Clue

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the kind words and encouragement! It means a lot to get such friendly, helpful reviews, so a big thanks to all of you down in the review section! Keep being awesome ;) Sorry if this chapter was a bit short and/or boring, but I just wanted some more character interactions, and I want baby Nico to realize that he loves Will to Tartarus, and yeah XD (Lol, jk, but this chapter _is_ going to move some things along, though c;)

Textin', as always;

 **Bold** = Nico

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 ** _Bold and italics_** = Reyna _(Yes, I finally brought Reyna in!)_

* * *

 **7**

 **Nico**

* * *

As soon as Nico hung up with Will, he got a text from Jason.

 **1:06 PM - Sooooooo. How'd it go?**

Nico rolled his eyes.

 **1:07 PM - Fine**

 **1:07 PM - JUST fine?**

 **1:08 PM - Yes. What did you expect me to say? "We hit it off and now we're a couple, I'm so happy"?**

 **1:09 PM - Neeks, I'm serious. Pipes is begging me for details, because apparently Lou Ellen is over at Will's place right now, and she knows but she's not telling**

Groaning, Nico tore a hand through his hair, frustrated.

 **1:10 PM - There's nothing to tell!**

 **1:11 PM - There must be SOMETHING! C'mon, Neeks, we're best friends!**

 **1:12 PM - Jason, I swear to God...**

 **1:13 PM - Don't make me call you and beg!**

 **1:14 PM - Jason...**

 **1:15 PM - I'm calling!**

 **1:15 PM - Don't you dare**

 **1:16 PM - 3...**

 **1:16 PM - Jason.**

 **1:17 PM - 2...**

 **1:18 PM - JASON GRACE.**

 **1:19 PM - Nico, 1!**

 **1:20 PM - OKAY, FINE! Are you happy now?!**

 **1:21 PM - Yes! Now tell meeeeeee!**

 **1:22 PM - Okay, so maybe there's a little TINY thing that happened...**

 **1:23 PM - NEEEEEEKKKSS TEEEELLLLLL MEEEEEEEE!**

Nico squeezed his eyes shut and sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 **1:24 PM - Tutto quello che posso dire è che... Will... è molto coccolone...**

 **1:25 PM - Good, good. Now this time in English, Nico**

 **1:26 PM - No. You can google translate it. I will not type it**

Jason didn't respond for several seconds, and when he did, it was a call. As soon as Nico pressed "accept", he was met with Jason laughing like a hyena on the other end. He was immediately annoyed. "Smettere di ridere!"

"I— Oh gods, I can't!" He burst into another fit of laughter, and Nico grimaced and glared at the wall. Finally, Jason seemed to collect himself. "Okay, okay, but seriously; what the hell does that even _mean_?"

"You know he fell asleep on me," Nico mumbled, flushing slightly. "Well, we kind of... got... _tangled_ while we were sleeping."

"Awwww!" Jason cooed on the other end, making Nico's grimace deepen. "That's _so_ sweet!"

"Grace," Nico said darkly. "Concluderò voi."

"Sorry, sorry, Neeks, but it is!"

Nico took a deep breath. "Okay. But he forgot the manga."

"He forgot... the manga?" Jason repeated, and Nico could practically picture his blond eyebrow raising.

"Yes. So I sort of... invited him over... again. Well, more like _he_ said he was going to come over... It was very complicated."

"Oh. Well, that's, that's _great_." Nico could practically _see_ his best friend stifling laughter, and he swore to strangle Jason next time he saw him.

"Listen, he's only coming for the manga this time. That's _it_."

"Suuurrreeeee," Jason hummed on the other end. " _Whatever_ you say, Neeks. Anyway, I gotta go. Pipes demands details!" And with that he hung up, giving Nico no chance to respond. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair in irritation and exasperation. Just then, his phone dinged.

For a second he was annoyed, thinking it was Jason bugging him once more, but it turned out to be another of his friends, Reyna.

 _ **1:33 PM - Hey Nico. I heard from Hazel that you had someone over to your house?**_

" _Gods_ ," Nico sighed out exasperatedly. "Is _everyone_ talking about this?!"

Nico sent a quick text to Hazel.

 **1:35 PM - Hazel, I'm going to kill you.**

He switched back to Reyna and typed out a reply.

 **1:36 PM - Yes. But PLEASE don't ask me for details, because I'm tired of explaining**

 _ **1:37 PM - Oh, I already have all the details from Percy.**_

Nico groaned.

 **1:38 PM - Percy heard about this, too? And if he knows, so do Tyson, Annabeth, Leo, and Frank... Oh, gods, just kill me now...**

 _ **1:39 PM - Calm down, Nico. We're all just excited you finally took an interest in someone!**_

 **1:40 PM - I AM NOT INTERESTED IN WILL SOLACE! He wanted a manga, and that's IT!**

 _ **1:41 PM - Suuuurreeee, Nico. Just a manga**_

Nico frowned down at his phone. _What's that supposed to mean?_

 **1:43 PM - What is that supposed to mean?!**

 _ **1:44 PM - Nothing. I'm certainly not implying you like him. Nope. Not at all**_

Finally, Nico snapped, and poured all of his rage into his next text, his thumbs flying across the keys furiously.

 **1:45 PM - Okay, so fine, MAYBE he's fucking gorgeous and looks like a Greek god or the sun incarnate, and MAYBE his golden hair is fucking beautiful, and his eyes are so damn blue, and he smells like honey and flowers, but I have NO feelings towards him WHATSOEVER!**

 _ **1:46 PM - Really, Nico? Read over what you just texted me VERY carefully**_

Nico face-palmed and glared at his phone with a slight blush on his face.

 **1:47 PM - That was all completely platonic!**

 _ **1:48 PM - Riiiiiigggggghhhht. Nico, I've got to go, but PLEASE just realize that you like this boy so you can finally be happy for once in your life. Do it for Bianca and Hazel, and me and Jason. We just want to see you happy.**_

Nico tossed his phone on the end of his bed and burrowed under his blankets, glaring at the black wall (no, really, Nico's wall was painted black—it's his favorite color, okay?).

 _I do_ not _like Will Solace_ , Nico thought to himself stubbornly, squeezing his eyes shut. _I do not like Will, I do not like Will, I do not like Will, I do not like Will, I do not like Will._

He thought the words so many times that they started to blur into something different.

 _Or maybe I do..._

 _Forse lo faccio..._

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Tutto quello che posso dire è che... Will... è molto coccolone... - All I can say is that... Will... is very cuddly...

 **-** Smettere di ridere! = Stop laughing!

 **-** Concluderò voi. = I will end you.

 **-** Forse lo faccio... = Maybe I do...


	8. The Hand Of Solace

**A/N:** Another big thanks to everyone leaving reviews, because it means a lot to know you guys are enjoying the story! Keep being awesome ❤

Textin' info;

 _Italics_ = Will

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

* * *

 **8**

 **Nico**

* * *

On Wednesday morning, it took Nico's sleepy brain all of four seconds to remember that Will was coming over today. At any time. Hell, he could be there now.

"Fanculo, fanculo, fanculo, _fanculo_ ," Nico swore, scrambling out of bed and tripping as his blankets got tangled around his foot. He face-planted on the floor, groaning. He turned to pull the blanket off his foot and used the bed to pull himself to his feet. "Ow..." He remembered his predicament and practically ran face-first into his closet in his hurry to get clothes. He pulled out the first shirt he saw, followed by black jeans. He quickly put them on and grabbed his phone to check his texts and the time. It was ten thirty already, and Nico cursed.

He had three texts from Jason, and one from Will.

 **9:30 AM - Reyna just told me Will is coming over?!**

 **9:30 AM - NICO I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!**

 **9:31 AM - I know you're sleeping, but seriously, call me when you get up!**

Nico sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which was still messy from sleeping. Preparing himself mentally, he read Will's text.

 _10:23 AM - On my way over, ghost boy_

That sent Nico into a panic, and he quickly dialed Jason's number, needing someone to freak out to. "Jason, Jason, help me!"

"What's up?" Jason asked, sounding amused.

"WILL IS ON HIS WAY OVER! I JUST FUCKING WOKE UP, I'M NOT READY!"

Jason laughed. "Whoa, calm down there, Nico. Are you dressed."

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then you're ready," Jason interrupted.

"I meant I'm not _emotionally_ ready," Nico groaned. "He's so _sunshiney_! I just _can't_ , Jason!"

"Nico, buck up. You are adorable."

"I am not adorable!" Nico yelled into the phone, throwing open his bedroom door and walking down the stairs.

"Yes, Nico, yes you are. Now repeat after me: 'I am ready for Will Solace.'"

"Oh, my God, no," Nico said, blushing. "Cosa c'è di _sbagliato_ con te?!"

"Nico, you're adorable."

"I AM _NOT_ ADORABLE!" Nico shouted at the top of his lungs into the phone, standing in the middle of his living room, glaring at the carpet. There was a snicker, and he froze, looking up in horror to find Bianca, his dad, and Will sitting in the living room, staring at him. The laughter had come from Bianca, who currently had a hand over her mouth stifling giggles.

Nico's face cycled through five expressions; shock, fear, anger, more intense anger, and, finally, embarrassment. His face turned tomato red, and he almost dropped his phone. He sprinted into the kitchen to get away from them, and ducked into the barren pantry, sinking down the wall into a sitting position.

"Hey, Nico, bro, you alright?"

"I'm going to fucking kill you, Jason," Nico groaned into the phone. "They all just heard me yell that. At the top of my lungs."

" _All_ of them?" Jason asked.

" _All_ _of them_ ," Nico confirmed, dying inside. "Kill me... Please just kill me..."

"Well, what did they do? What did _you_ do?"

"Bianca was laughing out loud, Dad was laughing inside, and Will was just _staring_... I just ran into the kitchen and I'm hiding in the pantry now. _No way_ can I go out there now..."

"Aw, Nico, c'mon. I'm sure they won't laugh at you if you go out there. That would just be mean."

"Have you _met_ my family?" Nico grumbled.

Jason was silent for a while. "Do you have access to a window?"

"Um, yes...?" Nico asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can come pick you up. Jump out the window. I gotchu, Neeks."

"You want me to jump out a window?" Nico asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?"

"Is that a no?"

Nico was silent for several seconds. "How soon can you be here?"

"Ten minutes?"

Nico let out a sigh. "No. That's too long. They'd get me by then. Maybe waiting outside like wolves..."

Jason let out a laugh. "Okay, Neeks. I guess I'll just wish you luck, then."

"I'll need it," Nico murmured, before hanging up the phone and resting his head on his knees. _Should I go out there and face the firing squad? Rather sooner than later, I suppose..._

"Nico?"

Nico jumped and whipped his head around to face the door. "Non entrare! Mi lancerò Chef Boyardee a voi!"

"Nico, it's just me," Will said. "Can I come in?"

Staring at the door, Nico hesitantly answered, "Fine." He turned as the doorknob did so he wouldn't have to look at Will's sunshiny-ness in his depressed state.

There was a presence on his right side, and a shoulder pressed against his as Will sat next to him. "So, that must've been embarrassing," Will said, and Nico groaned and buried his face in his knees again, hugging them to his chest. "Lasciatemi morire..."

After a minute, an arm encircled Nico's shoulder, making him tense. "All I meant was; I get it. My family makes fun of me, too."

Nico hesitantly opened one eye to peer out at him. Will, seeing this as encouragement, gave Nico his ten-thousand-watt smile. "I smoothed things over for you, so are you gonna come out with me?"

Nico gave a hesitant smile. "You want to come out of a closet with me, Solace?"

Will blushed and hit him on the arm. "Damare..."

 _Okay_ , Nico thought, grinning. _Maybe this isn't so bad._ "Sure, sunshine."

Standing, Will held out a hand to Nico. Nico looked up at him, at this boy holding out a hand that signified so much. He grinned and accepted it, and Will pulled him to his feet, and they left the pantry, together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Awwwww, I'm so happy with this chapter :3

 **Translations;**

 **-** Fanculo. = Fuck. (So essentially Nico went, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, _fuck_." XD)

 **-** Cosa c'è di _sbagliato_ con te?! = What is _wrong_ with you?!

 **-** Non entrare! Mi lancerò Chef Boyardee a voi! - Don't come in! I'll throw Chef Boyardee at you! (XD)

 **-** Lasciatemi morire... = Let me die...

 **-** Damare... = Shut up...


	9. Another Failed Attempt

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter, and once again, a huge thanks to everyone who's continuously showing their support by reviewing/PMing with me about the story! You guys are awesome! ( **Warning;** slight _Mulan II_ spoilers.)

Textin' info;

 _Italics_ = Will

Underlined = Lou

 _ **Bold, underlined, and italics**_ = Apollo

 **Bold** = Nico

* * *

 **9**

 **Will**

* * *

"Hey, pass me the popcorn," Will said, reaching out a hand blindly in the dark.

He'd been at Nico's house all day, and they had started watching movies around six, along with his dad and sister. They had gone to be around nine, leaving Nico and Will alone. Will (after texting his dad to tell him he would be home around eleven) had made popcorn; fortunately one of the foods that were actually in Nico's house.

The lip of a bowl was thrust under his fingers, and Will pulled it over onto his lap, taking a handful of the buttery stuff and stuffing it in his mouth. "I luf popfcorn," he said happily, his voice muffled through the food in his mouth.

Nico laughed. "Yeah, that's a bit obvious, il mio raggio di sole."

Will turned to him, frowning. "What does that mean? I only got a few words. Sole means sun... And di means of..." He sighed and slumped back against the couch. "I'm not very good at Italian."

Nico tugged his legs up on the couch and sat cross-legged, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Don't worry, Will. It's nothing bad."

Will looked at him suspiciously before grabbing his phone and discreetly sending a text to Lou.

 _10:03 PM - Hey, google translate 'il mio raggio di sole' for me, would you?_

10:04 PM - Sure thing babe~

Sliding his phone back in his pocket, Will turned his attention back to the movie they were watching. Nico was a huge fan of Disney, so they were currently watching _Mulan II_ (after finishing the first an hour ago.) Will loved Disney, too, of course, but Nico's family seemed like much bigger fans. His sister had made them watch _Cinderella_ and _Bambi_ before she went to bed, and even Nico's dad had requested they watch Hercules.

But Will didn't really mind. It was kind of adorable, actually; Nico being so emo and introverted and loving Disney movies.

Will turned to talk to Nico, but his eyes were trained intently on the screen, and he was clutching a pillow to his chest and biting his lip rather adorably. "No! She was about to make up with him!" he yelled at the screen, and Will noticed that it was around the time when the bandits attacked the princesses. Slowly, he turned to look back at Nico. "Nico, is this your first time watching this?"

He nodded against the pillow. "Yeah. I watched the first one but I never got around to the second one."

 _Uh oh... Then he doesn't know that..._

Nico suddenly gasped and leaned forward so far his pillow fell on the floor. "No! Don't you _dare_ let him go!" He put his hands on his face and tugged his fingers through his hair viciously. "No, no, no, _no_. How _could_ she?! I thought—" He gasped again, his hands falling to his lap. "He let go! WILL, HE LET GO!"

Will raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah... Are you okay?"

"HOW COULD I BE OKAY?!" Nico exclaimed, turning to face him and grabbing him by the shoulders. "HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF TO SAVE HER! DI DIO, SHE'LL NEVER FORGIVE HERSELF FOR THIS!"

"Don't worry," Will said with a slight smile. "It gets better."

* * *

About four minutes later Nico was clinging to Will's arm and strangling it like it was a life raft and he was drowning. "Better?! This isn't _better_! How could you lie to me?"

Will patted his back soothingly. "Don't worry. Just keep watching."

At the wedding scene, Nico was in tears and nothing could tear his eyes from the screen. "Don't go through with it," he kept repeating. "Don't you _dare_ go through with it."

When Shang appeared, Nico let out a cheer and started grinning like a mad man. When the movie ended, he was winded from laughing and crying and collapsed against Will's shoulder. "Disney is evil. Evil and genius."

"Yep," Will agreed, amused by Nico's antics. Catching a glimpse of the clock on the side-table, he cursed. "Oh no, I totally lost track of time! It's nearly eleven!"

Will scrambled off the couch and gathered his things, Nico watching in amused silence. Will threw open the door, said a quick farewell, and was off sprinting across Nico's lawn in the dark.

* * *

The clock struck eleven the very second Will entered his house, and he grinned breathlessly, kicking off his shoes and heading towards the kitchen. "Dad? You up?"

There was no reply, so Will figured his dad was already asleep. Grinning, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed up the stairs to his room. When he was seated on his bed with his legs sprawled out and back resting comfortably against the headboard, he slid his phone out of his pocket to check his texts.

The first two were from Lou, and there was one from Nico and one from his dad.

He clicked on Lou's first.

10:46 PM - Gods, Will, the translation XD

10:47 PM - Call me the second you get up tomorrow

Clicking over to his dad's text, he frowned.

 _ **10:51 PM - Hey, Will, I'll be gone when you get back. I went to meet one of my old friends. I should be back soon.**_

Finally, he read Nico's.

 **10:54 PM - Missing something, sunshine?**

Will set down his phone and looked around, making sure he had everything. The only things he'd taken over were his phone and an old college sweatshirt of his dad's, and he had his phone, and the sweatshirt was slung over the back of his desk chair.

"What is he talking about?" he asked himself, confused. "I have every... Oh shit." He face-palmed, cursing under his breath. "The _manga_. I forgot the fucking manga _again_!"

Hesitantly, he picked up his phone and typed out a response.

 _11:09 PM - Um, yeah... Totally forgot_

 **11:10 PM - That's fine. I guess I sort of owe you one for earlier...**

 _11:11 PM - Nah, I was happy to help. But I do want the manga, though, and if you feel inclined to just give it to me, well..._

 **11:12 PM - Ha ha. Nice try**

Will sighed. _Should've know that wouldn't work..._

 **11:13 PM - But I will give you one more chance to get it since you're ever so forgetful**

 _11:14 PM - Oh will you?_

 **11:15 PM - Yes. Meet me at the bookstore where we met tomorrow at twelve**

 _11:16 PM - Fine. See you then_

 **11:17 PM - Ci vediamo allora, sole~**

Will sighed and fell back on his pillows, looking up at the ceiling. _One more chance... And this time, nothing will go wrong._

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Il mio raggio di sole. = My ray of sunshine. (◕ω◕)

 **-** Di Dio = Gods

 **-** Ci vediamo allora, sole. = See you then, sunshine.


	10. Jason, And Percy, And Lou, Oh My!

**A/N:** Here's the tenth chapter, finally! Sorry to all of you guys who have stuck with it that I haven't posted a chapter in a while, but I've been super busy. Anyway, I'll try to update more frequently, so please continue showing your support and reviewing/talking about the story with me, because it means a lot to me c: Anyway, you probably want to just get on with the story by now, so let's begin. (Slightly longer chapter this time, so enjoy!)

* * *

 **10**

 **Will**

* * *

Will woke to the insistent (and frankly quite annoying) ringing of his cell phone. He fumbled blindly for his phone and accepted the call and the Imagine Dragons song that had been blasting out at full volume was silenced. "Hello?" he mumbled sleepily, pushing himself to a sitting position against his headboard with a yawn.

"Why, was that a _yawn_ I just heard?" Lou asked, feigning surprise. "From Mr. 'I Wake Up At Six Everyday'?"

Will rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked it was"—he glanced at the clock on his wall and did a double-take—" _five thirty?!_ Lou, what the hell?!"

"William, calm yourself," Lou said lightly. "I'm calling because I couldn't bare to wait another second to tell you the beautiful—and frankly hilarious—translation I looked up yesterday."

Immediately suspicious, Will narrowed his eyes at the phone. "And what exactly was it?"

"Get this—you're gonna laugh, babe—il mio raggio di sole translates into 'my ray of sunshine'. How cute is that?"

Will felt a blush stain his cheeks. He... he called me his ray of sunshine... Will shook his head. "Um, Lou, I have to tell you something."

"Hmm?" Lou hummed, sounding curious. "What?"

Will took a deep breath. "Well, I forgot the manga... again..." Before Lou could call him an idiot or other such names, he added, "But I'm meeting him at the bookstore today and I'm sure I'll get it this time."

"William, William, William," Lou clucked with a sigh. "You really are the most forgetful person on the planet."

"I am not," Will protested weakly. "You try to think straight around a short Italian angel boy!"

Lou giggled. "So you admit he's adorable."

Will groaned. "Yes, okay? He's adorable. Can we get back to the 'meeting at the bookstore' part, please?"

"Sure, sure," Lou said, her voice becoming serious. "Will, when are you meeting him?"

"Twelve. Why?"

"Perfect," Lou said, and Will could hear her shuffling around. "I'm picking you up at nine, we're going out to brunch, and then I'm accompanying you to the bookstore. I haven't met di Angelo in person yet, and I feel inclined to do so. After all, I need to make sure he's the right fit for my baby Will."

Will rolled his eyes, but sighed in defeat; There was nothing he could do to dissuade her when she got like this. "Fine. But we're going to L and L."

"Duh," Lou said. "Anyway, I gotta go. See you in three hours!"

* * *

Three hours later Will was in the passenger seat of Lou's car, and they were speeding towards Lemon and Lime Café. The Lemon and Lime Café—or L and L, as they preferred to call it—was a little café Lou's uncle owned, and they had the best pastries in the world, according to Lou and Will.

The café's walls were striped lemon yellow and lime green, and the front of the shop was shielded by a pastel pink overhang, and a few outdoor tables sat under umbrellas of sky blue and marigold orange. A bell tinkled above the door when they entered, and the café's air condition offered immediate relief from the summer heat.

They headed towards their usual table in the corner, and within seconds Lou's uncle's shop girl, Meg, swooped down on them with two coffees and a plate of mint green pistachio macaroons. Will grinned and grabbed one, thanking Meg as she walked back towards the counter.

"I hope he doesn't mind that I brought you along," Will said after a while of chewing in silence. "I didn't exactly give him a fair warning..."

Lou shrugged. "If he really likes you, he'll be fine with it."

Will frowned. "Okay, I guess..."

"Oh," Lou said, her eyes sparkling as she pointed at the counter. "Look, Will; they have a new pastry! I'm gonna go get two. Be right back!"

She was back within a minute with two sunflower-shaped pastries that smelled like vanilla. "Let's hurry up and eat these. I want to get to the bookstore early so I can scope out Angel Boy from a distance."

* * *

They did indeed arrive early at the bookstore, and Lou and Will ordered coffees and claimed a table at Starbucks, awaiting Nico's arrival. Lou's eyes scammed the crowd as she sipped her white chocolate mocha, and her purple-painted fingernails tapped against the table impatiently.

Finally, Will caught sight of a head of dark chocolate curls heading through the crowd, followed by Nico's familiar voice. "Jason, Percy, cut it out!"

That got his attention, and he raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of Nico, accompanied by two tall, handsome guys. Said guys had their arms around his shoulder and were casting furtive glances about the place, seeming very suspicious. "No can do, Neeks," the tall blond one said. "We're your appointed protection squad, and we take our job _very_ seriously."

Nico face-palmed, a blush staining his cheeks. "You're embarrassing is what you are."

" _Us_?" the equally tall, dark-haired one asked, feigning surprise. "Embarrassing?"

Just then Nico caught sight of Will, and he glanced up between his two companions and back at Will, looking fearful. The dark-haired one caught sight of him first, and his sea-green eyes narrowed. Will gulped. He felt slightly like making a break for it, but Lou was already standing with a stern look on her face, her arms crossed, so he had no choice but to stand up with her.

"Hello," the blond one said, offering a smile. "I'm Jason Grace, and this is—"

"Percy," the dark-haired cut in, giving Will a distrustful look.

"Um, hello..." Will said uncertainly. He turned to Lou and gave her a "Help me!" look. Lou cleared her throat. "Hello, boys. I'm Lou Ellen, Will's best and most trusted friend, and rest assured, I am judging all three of you." She waved her hand to constitute all of them and glared.

Jason coughed uncomfortably. "Well, okay then..."

"You all are ridiculous," Nico said with a sigh, ducking out from Percy and Jason's arms and walking forward to take a seat at the table. Will let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and collapsed back into his seat. Reluctantly, Lou, Jason, and Percy sat down as well, still trading distrustful looks.

"So..." Will asked, focusing all his attention on Nico and trying to block out the two gods that sat next to him. "Did you bring it?"

"Of course," Nico said, but he remained leaned back in his chair, arms crossed.

Will raised an eyebrow. Oh, I should've know. He expects me to do something for it again. But what does he have in mind this time?

Nico smiled. "Of course, you're wondering what I want this time?"

Will shrugged. "Only a little."

"Well, you see, il mio raggio di sole"—Will blushed now that he knew what that meant—"you'll just have to wait and find out."

That scared Will slightly, but it was a good kind of scared. He gave Nico a challenging grin. "Fine, Ghost Boy. I'm ready."


	11. A Friendly Game Of Laser Tag

**A/N:** FINAAALLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! I GOT CHAPTER ELEVEN DONNNEE! I totally busted my ass because ily guys so much (❤), so I hope you like it! (And no, complete Solangelo is _not_ achieved this chapter, but we gettin' close. Also, sorry this took me so long guys. I'll try to update next week to make it up to you c:)

* * *

 **11**

 **Nico**

* * *

They wandered around the mall without any real destination, and Nico was still slightly annoyed that Jason and Percy had come along. _One_ _of them_ he could deal with, but when they were together, they were about a thousand times more irritating. No, scratch that; probably a million.

But, of course, as soon as Jason had heard that Nico had roped Will into another "date", he'd somehow let it slip to _Percy_ , and the idiots had both decided ( _against_ Nico's wishes, mind you) that they were to act as his impromptu chaperons. And _so_ there they were.

Nico and Will were walking slightly ahead of their group of bumbling idio— _friends_ , and Nico and Will kept shooting glances back at them. Lou was walking between Jason and Percy, her arms crossed and face expressionless, but any time Jason or Percy tried to talk or touch or even look at each other, she would shoot them both a fierce glare that put them off trying anything again for a few more minutes.

It was all very entertaining to watch, really.

"So," Will said, drawing Nico's attention away from their friends' antics. "Where should we go first?"

"Where do you want to go?" Nico asked, raising an eyebrow and sticking his hands in his pockets. He honestly didn't care where they went, as long as Will was embarrassed and his pride was spat on a good few times. And honestly, he had _no idea_ where to go in the mall. He'd only ever been there to buy books, as he wasn't really the social type.

"Hm..." Will's brows furrowed as he thought, and Nico found it oddly adorable. He cursed himself and scowled. _Shut up. **But you know it's true.** It's not, shut up. **Admit it.** I won't. **Do it.** No!_ _**Come on!** Never!_ This inner argument continued until Will made a decisive sound, holding up a finger. "I know! Let's play laser tag! There's a _huge_ arcade just around the corner, with a really nice arena, too."

Nico stared at him for several seconds while Will just looked at him with wide eyes and an innocent smile. Nico held a hand to his mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing. It didn't work, and soon he was giggling like an idiot, holding both hands over his mouth attempting to stop the flow of laughter. He just couldn't help it.

"Only y-you would want to p-play laser t-tag on a d-date," Nico gasped out between peals of laughter as Will glared at him. However, the harsh look dropped seconds later as he grinned, his face brightening enough to blind Nico for several seconds. "So you admit this is a date?"

Nico's face reddened and his laughter died off as he waved his hands in denial. "N-no! Who said anything— I was just— Shut up, Solace!"

Will laughed and turned around happily, his smile irritatingly cheerful. "You're just afraid I'll _destroy_ you at laser tag," he said teasingly, tossing a sunshiney look over his shoulder that made Nico scowl as he scurried to catch up with the blond, crossing his arms. "As _if_. You want to play laser tag? Let's play."

* * *

When they arrived at the arcade a few minutes later, Nico had to admit he was slightly impressed. The place was plenty large, just as Will had promised, with several rooms full of both new and classic arcade games, a snack bar, a huge prize booth, and, of course, an _enormous_ laser tag arena. Nico could already see the neon lights flashing from inside, and hear the mechanical _pew-pew_ of laser-guns.

"Oh, are we playing laser tag?" Lou asked cheerfully, shoving past the boys, who shot her annoyed looks. "I'm on William's team!"

Nico rolled his eyes, but couldn't hold back an amused smile at the use of _William_. "Fine by me. Jason, Percy, you're with me."

"Aren't we short a player?" Jason pointed out, raising an eyebrow. "We have three, and they have two."

"Oh, rest _assured_ we only need two to beat _you three_ ," Lou said sweetly, and Jason and Percy glared at her.

"Oh, it's _on_ , green eyes," Percy said, glaring at her as he grabbed Jason by the arm and started towing him towards the laser-tag booth. "You're going _down_."

As they walked past her, Lou called out, "You have green eyes too, fish boy!"

Nico snickered as he faintly heard Percy yell at Jason, "HOW DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT THE NICKNAME?!"

"C'mon, di Angelo," Will said, walking past him and tossing a challenging smile over his shoulder. "Unless you admit defeat already?"

"Keep talking, Solace," Nico replied, jogging to catch up with them as they entered the laser tag line.

They had to get the customary light-up vests and laser guns, and they were split into two teams; Lou and Will were yellow, while Nico, Jason, and Percy were blue. The man in charge spouted off the rules in a monotonic voice, but Nico barely paid any attention, instead trading competitive looks with Will while Jason and Percy continuously slapped each other on the back and hooted, getting psyched up like a couple of 5-year-olds.

When they were finally allowed to enter the large arena, though, all hell broke loose, and Nico really wished he'd paid attention during their briefing. There were two other teams playing against them, besides Will's—the green and the red—and as soon as they got inside, a volley of people started shooting at them. Jason and Percy immediately started doing barrel rolls and somersaults to avoid the shots, while Nico clumsily ducked behind a pillar.

He thought his two friends were taking the game way too seriously already, but then he saw Will. The boy was performing ninja-like stunts as he made his way across the floor, taking out rounds of people with multiple shots from his laser gun. Clearly this wasn't his first game of laser-tag.

Nico sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. _Well, might as well give it my all_ , he thought, before ducking out of the safety of the pillar and sprinting for a large tower-like structure in the center of the arena. Immediately people started shooting at him, and, to his surprise, he found himself reacting, doing a cartwheel—a fucking _cartwheel_ —to avoid the volley of shots, twisting in mid-air to return fire, taking out all of the assailants.

However, this burst of adrenaline-fueled, adolescent stuntery caused Will to take notice of him, and the blond sprinted toward him with a wide grin, already aiming his gun at Nico's chest sensor. "GO NICO!" Jason shouted, appearing out of nowhere to his left and firing madly at Will, who was now performing serpentine maneuvers to avoid Jason's attacks. "WE'LL COVER YOU!"

Nico turned with a quick nod and started running for the tower, and he glanced back to see Percy and Jason continuing the assault on Will, which quickly branched into two separate scuffles as Lou leaped from the top of a neon crate, launching herself into the fray with a fierce battle-cry.

As Nico ducked inside the tower, taking the steps two at a time, he was starting to ponder his sanity. Obviously everyone there was taking the game _very_ seriously, and normally Nico wouldn't participate in such child-like antics, but something about being in an arcade—somewhere he'd never really been interested in going before—brought out the inner child in him, and he found himself as deeply immersed in the game as his friends were.

Reaching the top of the tower, Nico quickly shot the two greens guarding it, and stood there trying to catch his breath, alternating between pointing his gun at the stairs, the open square in the wall that served as the window, and the two green members he'd shot, who would be buzzed back in any minute.

He heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and Nico ignored the window, keeping his gun pointed at the greens instead as he waited for the person to reach the top of the stairs. The footsteps grew closer. Closer. They were almost at the top now.

Nico took a deep breath, and two things happened; The two green members were buzzed in and they aimed their guns at him, and then the person reached the top of the stairs. Nico leapt to the side, avoiding the shots from the green members and any possible attack the person on the stairs might make, quickly taking out the two greens again, who cursed loudly in irritation.

He quickly whipped back around to see none other than Will standing at the top of the stairs, and cursed himself. " _Fantastic_ job with the cover, guys!" he shouted sarcastically out the window before turning his attention back to the blond. "I guess it's just you and me, Solace."

The two stared at each other, fingers hovering over the triggers of their guns. Their gazes were firmly trained on each other, their eyes daring the other to make a move. Nico heard one of the green members whisper, "Are they serious?" to his friend, and he shot them the finger without looking, earning a scoff and most likely an eye-roll.

"Go on, Solace," Nico taunted, narrowing his eyes and spreading his legs slightly apart, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excited anticipation, ready to dodge any attack Will might launch. "Make my day."

"You first," Will replied evenly, returning his challenging stare.

"Oh, for the love of _Christ_ , just _shoot each other already_!" one of the green members shouted, and Nico and Will raised their guns simultaneously and shot them both in the chest sensor. "Oh, come _on_! We were still out, man!"

Will and Nico went back to their stand-off. The air was tight with tension, and Nico was starting to contemplate making the first move when Will took a step forward. Nico's gun snapped to attention, his finger hovering over the trigger as Will moved closer, and closer.

They were standing nearly chest-to-chest now, and Nico could feel the hand that held his gun trembling slightly, waning to the side. "S-step back, Solace," Nico stuttered, glad that the darkness and the neon hid his blush.

"Nope," Will answered, grinning and looking down at Nico through his eyelashes. He was so close they were practically hugging, and Nico felt equal parts embarrassed and angry as his gun continued to shake, showing how nervous he really was.

"Get a room," one of the greenies murmured, and Will turned and shot them in the chests again, eliciting a loud groan. "Oh, well fuck you too. C'mon, Simon. Let's go get some pizza and leave the lovebirds to it."

That earned them two more shots in the chest each, and a mutter of, "Yeah, yeah, we're _going_!"

Will turned back to Nico, and he tried his best to stop his shaking hand. "Solace, s-seriously, um, m-move b-back... You're t-too c-cl-close."

"No such thing," Will replied, and he leaned forward so his lips were almost brushing Nico's ear, sending a shiver down his spine. "Guess what, Nico~ooo?"

"W-wh-whaa...?" Nico squeaked, his brain temporarily shut down due to over-heating.

Will's voice lowered. "Just two little words. _Got. You._ " The words were followed by the little, depressed _buh_ - _buh-buhhhh!_ noise as Nico's previously blue sensor turned an angry red and Will stepped back with a smirk, twirling the laser-gun he'd just used to shoot Nico through his fingers. "Man, I _totally_ got you. That was aw... Er, Nico?"

Nico's glare could wither grass or raise the dead as he stalked toward Will, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes dark and menacing. " _Solaacccce_ ," he growled, his face still beet red as he raised his gun. "You. Will. Pay. For. _This_."

Will laughed nervously and held up his hands as he started backing up down the stairs. " _Whoa_ , Nico, h-hold up a sec! I was just j-j-jo— EEEEEEHHHHHH!" He squealed as Nico snatched at his shirt collar and turned, sprinting back down the stairs with Nico chasing after him, waving his laser-gun angrily. "I SWEAR TO THE GODS I'M GOING TO _MURDER_ _YOU_ WHEN I CATCH YOU!"

* * *

Jason, Percy, and Lou, meanwhile, watched them from the sidelines, as all three of them had been shot down and were waiting to regenerate. Nico was chasing Will around, his face tomato red as he screamed threats at the top of his lungs and waved his gun around threateningly, shooting laser beams at the blond as soon as the censor on his chest turned blue again. Said blond only laughed and dodged the frantic attacks, looking not at all troubled as he easily avoided the smaller Italian.

"I wonder what he did to elicit _that_ reaction," Jason mused with a finger on his chin, watching his younger friend chase poor Will around the arena screaming bloody murder. "The last time this happened, Bianca stole all of his Mythomagic decks and replaced them with tampon boxes."

Lou gave them both a strange look as Percy started snickering. "Ha, I remember that!"

"Why would someone _ever_ think to..." Lou shook her head. "You know what, never mind."

They continued observing the Will-Nico chase for a few more seconds before Lou sighed loudly. "I'm totally getting pizza after this, and Will's buying. _Fuck_ laser tag."


	12. Reyna's Advice

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter, as promised! I'm finally back on track for this story, so thank you guys for staying patient :)

Texting is back, so here;

 **Bold** = Nico

 _Italics_ = Will

* * *

 **12**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico got home feeling absolutely exhausted. Between the laser tag and all the walking around they'd done that day, he felt dead on his feet. Plus, he and Will, and all of their friends had gone out to pizza after the arcade, and Nico felt more full than he had in his entire life.

"I'm home," he called out halfheartedly, groaning as he kicked off his shoes and headed for the stairs. "What are you guys— AHHHHHHHH!" Nico scrambled backwards and tripped on the last step, falling on his butt and skittering back as he stared wide-eyed at the black shape in front of him. "Quello che il effettivo _fanculo_?! Papà! Bianca!"

Bianca came walking out of the kitchen as Nico pulled himself to his feet, and she raised an eyebrow at him, sipping a diet Pepsi. "What are you doing?"

"What is that... that _thing_?" Nico asked exasperatedly, gesturing wildly at the black blob that appeared to be a huge black dog now that he looked at it. Biana shrugged, taking another swig of her soda. "I found a dog on the way home. Dad said I could keep him."

"Wha... You can't just— What are—" Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. "A _dog_ , B?"

His sister nodded, walking past him to head back down the hallway. "Yep. His name's Cerberus."

" _Cerberus_ ," Nico muttered, throwing up his hands and staring at the ceiling. "Of course." He turned and walked up the stairs, shaking his head. His sister had always been the kind of person who picked up any strange animal she found abandoned on the side of the road, and their dad had always indulged her, which Nico frankly didn't understand. Animals were large. And _slobbery_. And _dangerous_. Not worth the trouble, in his opinion.

But, of course, there was no dissuading Bianca when she was set on something.

Nico collapsed on his bed with a sigh, flipping onto his side to stare at the wall. His desk sat in the corner, like it always had, with that accursed manga Will wanted so much resting on its back amid a pile of messy papers and other books. With a jolt, Nico realized that Will had forgotten about it again.

He smiled slightly. How forgetful could one person be? Maybe he was doing this as a reason to spend time with him. It would make a lot of sense. Nico blushed at that, but quickly decided against it. Will wasn't wily enough to come up with a plan like that. He seemed like the type of person who could hold a straight face for all of two seconds before breaking into tears when trying to lie.

Deciding to throw out an olive branch after the (although he begrudgingly admitted this) amazing time he had, and picked up his phone to shoot a text to Will.

 **5:42 PM - You forgot the manga again, Solace. I'm starting to think you actually like spending time with me.**

Nico smacked himself in the face and groaned. _Oh, Gods why did I say thatttttt?_

 _5:43 PM - GODS FUCKING DAMMIT I CAN DO NOTHING RIGHTTTTT!_

Nico smiled slightly, amused by Will's antics as he typed out a response.

 **5:43 PM - Relax, luce del sole. I'm letting you off the hook. You can come by my house and pick it up tomorrow**

 _5:44 PM - ..._

 _5:45 PM - Really? You're not screwing with me?_

Nico took a deep breath and had to dig his nails into his palms _hard_ to avoid making a joke about Will's word choice as he typed out his answer.

 **5:45 PM - No.**

 _4:46 PM - Well... then I'll be there_

 **4:47 PM - Good**

 _4:47 PM - Good_

Nico thought he would get no further response, but as he was setting his phone aside, it dinged once more. His eyes widened and heart rate sped up as he read Will's last text.

 _4:49 PM - And maybe I do like spending time with you... Ghost boy_

"Oh my gods," Nico whispered, clutching his phone tightly in both hands. "Oh miei dèi. Solace... Gli piaccio?" With a shaking hand, he typed out Reyna's number, needing someone to talk to that wasn't Jason or Percy. She picked up on the third ring with a simple, "Hello?"

"Hey, Reyna," Nico greeted, fiddling with the hem of his black shirt as he sat cross-legged on his bed. "I need some advice."

"Of course," she said. "Anything I can do to help."

"Okay, well..." He bit his lip. "I think someone likes me."

Reyna was quiet for several seconds. "Okay. And this person... do you like them too?"

"Well, that's the thing..." Nico paused, letting out an exasperated sigh. "I don't _know_! I mean, at times I feel really happy, but at other times, I don't know how I feel. I mean, it's fun hanging out with him, but... How do I know what I'm feeling is really _real_?" He ended the rant with a sharp exhale and sagged back against his headboard, feeling slightly relieved that he'd gotten that all off his chest.

Reyna processed the information for a few seconds before responding. "Okay, well you should try spending a day away from this person, and just think about how you feel about them."

"And what?" Nico asked, confused. "If I miss them, I really do like them?"

"I don't know," Reyna said simply, prompting Nico to let out an irritated sigh. "That's for you to decide, Nico."

"Fine," he said after a while of thinking about it. She did have a point. If he spent a day away from Will, and all he could think about was _Will_ , then surely he liked him, right? "Thanks, Reyna."

"No problem. Now get some sleep, Nico." Without another word, she hung up, and Nico sighed and dropped his phone on his mattress. He supposed the day without Will would have to wait until after he'd given him the manga. That way there would be nothing tying them together anymore, except the few memories they had from their "dates".

This was good, Nico told himself. He could use some time alone to just _think_. He was sure it would do him some good. After all, this whole Will thing was driving him insane. He'd never been the lovey-dovey type. He didn't coo or swoon over cute couples in movies; he'd never wanted to do any of that cheesy stuff with anyone before. And yet, with Will... it was different. Will made _everything_ different, and Nico still wasn't sure whether it was a good different.

Sighing, Nico plugged in his phone, buried himself in his covers, and drifted out to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, Nico still felt as indecisive as he had the previous day. But he ignored it all, grabbing the manga from his side-table and stuffing it deep in the pocket of his black hoodie. Will was coming over around eleven to pick it up, and as soon as he was gone, the thinking would begin.

Dragging himself down the stairs, Nico trailed into the kitchen to find his dad at the stove. The smell of bacon hit Nico's nose, and he was brought up short as the scent hit him like a frying pan, making his stomach grumble. He stood there like a statue for several seconds, staring at his father like he'd grown a second head and blinking repeatedly to see if it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

"Oh, good morning, Son," Hades greeted, glancing over his shoulder at Nico before returning his attention to the pan in front of him. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

" _Dad_ ," Nico said, breaking out of his stupor, " _what_ are you doing?"

Hades didn't look at him, flipping the bacon with a fork and causing the fresh grease to sizzle against the hot pan. "Nothing. Just something your friend Will said got me thinking."

Nico groaned and collapsed into a seat at the table, tearing a hand through his hair. "Dad, I am _not_ malnourished! _Do not_ listen to Will! I swear I eat plenty."

Hades rolled his eyes. "Nico, McDonald's doesn't count."

Nico threw up his hands with an agitated exclamation. "Really, Dad! What does Will know about nutrition, anyway?"

"Don't change the subject," Hades said, pointing the bacon-flipping fork at Nico with a stern expression. "You're going to eat this bacon, and you're going to like it!"

"Okay, okay," Nico muttered, crossing his arms and rocking back on his chair. "Where's Bianca?"

"Your sister went out with some friends. She said she'd be back by two or three. And I think they took the dog with them."

"Of course," Nico sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The dog."

Hades flipped off the stove and poured the bacon onto a plate, setting it on the table. He opened up the fridge and grabbed the orange juice and milk, setting both cartons on the table before swiping two things of jam and the butter. He dumped the load on the table, grabbing the bread from the counter and sticking four slices in the toaster.

Meanwhile, Nico poked a piece of bacon suspiciously, eyeing it warily. His father had never cooked bacon—or any other breakfast food, for that matter—in Nico's entire fifteen years of existence, and yet the meat seemed perfectly cooked, a golden brown on both sides, and just the right amount of crispy. It kind of scared him.

A few seconds later, the toaster dinged, and Nico's dad set the toast on a plate, placing it on the table. "Eat up, kid," he instructed, popping open the orange juice and taking a swig. Nico paused for about a split second before grabbing six slices of bacon and two of toast, slathering on butter and strawberry jam before taking a big bite.

Between father and son, the two of them made quick work of the food, and soon the plates were empty. Nico helped Hades carry the dishes to the sink, and clear the jam, butter, orange juice, and milk off the table, and by the time that was all done, it was nearing ten fifty.

"Oh no," Nico squeaked, tripping over his feet in his hurry to get to the stairs. "Will will be here any sec—" The doorbell rung, interrupting him, and Nico froze, very aware of his skull-patterned pajama-pants and black hoodie that cheerfully read, _99.9% Sarcasm_. The doorbell rang again, and Nico squealed and face-planted as he tripped over the first step and fell on his face on the carpet. Hades stepped over him, rolling his eyes, and pulled the door open while Nico was still rolling around clutching his foot, moaning in pain.

"Oh, hello, Mr. di Angelo!" Will greeted brightly, flashing his signature 1000-watt smile. "Good morn— Er, is Nico okay?"

Nico stopped his flailing about and looked over at Will, who was staring at him with a slightly amused expression.

"He tripped," Hades said, stepping aside to let Will past. Nico quickly scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off, a slight blush dusting his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Um, I have the, uh, manga you wanted."

Will watched as he pulled the book from his pocket, holding it out to the blond. Their fingers brushed as Will took it, and Nico felt a shiver go through him as he quickly yanked his hand away, coughing in embarrassment. He was starting to feel like a twelve-year-old girl with a crush.

"Thanks," Will said, giving Nico a bright smile that made his heart involuntarily flutter.

"No problem," he said, clasping his hands behind his back and rocking back on his heels awkwardly. Will was about to say something when his phone dinged, and he stuck the manga under his arm, pulling his phone from his pocket. His eyes widened when he saw the screen, and he turned on his heel. "I'm so sorry, Nico, but I gotta go!" He reached the door and tugged it open, shooting an apologetic look over his shoulder. "I'll talk to you soon!" And then he closed the door, sprinting off across Nico's lawn.

Hades looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. "What was that about?"

Nico gave a long sigh. "I honestly don't know. I'm going upstairs."

Stalking back upstairs, Nico tugged off his sweat-shirt and changed into a T-Shirt. Like most of his clothes, it had a witty remark. This one said, _Little Bucket Of Sass_ , and featured a small bucket tipping over—a present from Jason. Nico sighed and plopped down in his chair, staring out the window.

"Okay," he said aloud, straightening and squaring his shoulder. "Twenty-four hours of not seeing Will and thinking about emotions officially starts _now_."

* * *

 **Translations;**

Quello che il effettivo _fanculo_?! = What the actual _fuck_?! (XD)

Papà! = Dad!

Oh miei dèi. = Oh my gods.

Gli piaccio? = He likes me?


	13. Ranting

**A/N:** To kick this chapter off, happy Thanksgiving babes! What better gift than an extra long chapter? Here's the new chapter (finally), and it's a Will POV this time around! Squee! ^-^ Hope you guys love it and keep being awesome ^-^ I'm thankful for you all ❤❤❤

As always, texting guide for this chapter;

 _Italics_ = Will

Underlined = Lou

* * *

 **13**

 **Will**

* * *

Will burst through his front door breathless and panicked and gasped out, "WHAT'S THE EMERGENCY?!" His dad looked up at him from his place on the couch and raised an eyebrow. "Um, what are you talking about?"

Giving him an exasperated look, Will stomped over and shoved his phone screen at his dad. "You sent me a text saying, 'EMERGENCY! COME HOME ASAP!'" He stared at him with an expectant look, waiting for an explanation. His dad just stared at the phone with a blank look for several seconds before slamming his fist in his open palm. "Ohhhhh, _that_. Yeah, it's actually a funny story, son."

"I'm not laughing," Will said humorlessly, glaring at him. "I was in the middle of something, you know! I ran out of Nico's house like a crazy person. What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Apollo scratched his cheek in embarrassment. "Um, well, there was a, uh, spider in the bathroom? IT WAS HUGE!" he added frantically, holding up his arms to defend himself as Will raised a fist threateningly. Taking a deep breath to keep himself from murdering his father, Will let his hand drop and tried to relax a little. "Dad, you couldn't have added that _tiny_ little detail at the end of the text, so, ya know, I didn't run out on Nico and his dad like a psycho?" He winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Gods, he's probably freaked out..."

His dad gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry, Will. Did you get what you went over for?"

Will started slightly, fingering the manga in the large pocket of his dad's old sweatshirt (which he'd stolen a few years ago). "Oh, yeah, I guess I did..." With a jolt of realization, he shook his head and pointed an accusatory finger at his dad. "Hey, don't change the subject! I'm still mad at you!"

"Good!" Apollo said with a smile, ignoring his previous comment. "Hey, I was thinking of ordering pizza for dinner. What do you think?"

" _Dad_!" Will said exasperatedly as his dad stood and walked towards the kitchen, pulling a phone from his pocket.

"Cheese or pepperoni?"

"Are you seri—" Will gave up with an irritated sigh and ran his hands through his hair. His father was hopeless. "Cheese."

Apollo grinned, shooting him a finger gun. "You got it, Will."

As he walked off, Will sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ridiculous," he murmured to himself, padding over to the stairs and taking them two at a time. "Completely ridiculous." He let himself into his room and kicked the door closed, pulling his phone and the manga from his pocket. He tossed the book on the desk and flopped on his bed with the phone, opening his texts. He figured he owed Nico an apology/explanation for his weird behavior earlier.

He _thought_ about just going back over, but he figured that would be rude, so texting was the next best thing.

 _10:17 AM - Hey, sorry about running out on you earlier... My dad said he had a quote on quote "emergency", so I ran over (literally, might I add), and, long story short, it's not an emergency. (Told you my family was as weird as yours.) Anyway, should I just come back over, or...?_

He sent the text and watched the screen, waiting for the response. After about five minutes of looking down at his screen in anticipation, however, he frowned and tapped out another text.

 _10:22 AM - Nico? You there?_

Five more minutes later, and still no answer. Will was a little worried now. Sure, he figured that sometimes people didn't text back if they were busy, et cetera, but Will had _just_ seen him (not busy, at that) not twenty minutes ago. Was he mad that Will had run out like that? But he'd _just_ apologized and explained, so what was the problem?

Before he could debate any longer with himself, his phone dinged, scaring him, and he nearly dropped it. He expected a text from Nico, but was disappointed when he saw that it was from Lou. Then immediately afterwards felt angry at himself for feeling disappointed. He was acting like a twelve-year-old.

10:27 AM- Hey, babe. Did you get the manga?

Will took a deep breath. "She's your best friend. You can talk to her about this. Okay? Okay."

 _10:29 AM - Yes, but Dad texted me saying he had an emergency, and I sorta ran out on Nico. I tried to text him after to apologize but he's not reading my texts or responding Lou what do I do?_

Instead of texting, she called a few seconds later, and Will smiled to himself. He should've just called her ten minutes ago and saved himself all this trouble. "Hey, Lou."

"William, I'll be over in two minutes," she said in greeting, before immediately hanging up. As promised, a few minutes later, she tapped on the glass, and Will padded over to let her in. "So, di Angelo's not texting you back?" she asked, flopping slant-ways across his bed and kicking off her shoes (orange kitten heels. Will had to admit; it was a fashion statement). Will shook his head and sat down beside her. "No. I don't understand. Is he mad at me? I tried to apologize."

Lou crossed her legs and turned on her side to look at him. "Will, you're being stupid. He's probably just busy."

"But he wasn't busy when I left," Will pressed, letting out an exasperated groan. Perhaps she wouldn't be as much help as he'd originally thought. He buried his face in a pillow and screamed. "Why am I feeling like this?!" he yelled, voice slightly muffled by the pillow. In answer, Lou placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a reassuring pat. "It's called love, William."

Will sprang up like a jack-in-the-box and shook his head at her, wide-eyed. "No. No way! I don't— I'm not— I don't love _Nico_! He's not funny or considerate or adorable or _anything_ like that! I definitely _don't_ like being around him or hearing him laugh or look at me through those damned thick eyelashes! What are you even _saying_ , Lou?!"

" _I'm_ not saying anything," Lou said, her eyebrows raised as she looked at him with a smirk. "But _you_ appear to be saying quite a lot, Will." She pushed herself to a sitting position and used a pillow to rest her elbows against. "It sounds to me like you need to seriously address how you feel about Nico, babes."

"What...? No..." Will protested weakly. "I mean, I _know_ how I feel. He's just a friend. An _annoying_ friend that blackmailed me into several dates to get a manga because I'm forgetful and, you know, they probably restocked the shelves at Barnes  & Noble and I could've just gone in and bought one but he— Urgh, _damn_ him!" Will threw up his hands with a deep scowl on his face. "I can't believe this."

"Will," Lou said, patting his shoulder, "rant."

"What?" he asked, looking up at her with a confused look. Lou stared back at him with a completely serious expression. "You heard me: _Rant_. Go on. Rant about everything that you hate about Nico." She sat back, raising her hands in a show of peace. "I won't even say anything; I'll just be the stereotypical good friend and listen to you complain. So go ahead."

Will frowned. "But... I can't just—"

"He's devious," Lou interrupted, "isn't he?"

"Yes!" Will growled, unable to help himself with the prompt. He squeezed a pillow to his chest so tightly he feared it would pop. "He's _insanely_ devious! No, scratch that; _insane_ , period! You know, the first time I went over, he had all the lights off, and candles everywhere—fucking _candles—_ and you know what he said to me when I mentioned it? ' _I like the dark_ '! I mean, who fucking _says_ that?!

"And you know what else, he's so _tiny_! He thinks he's got this whole bad-boy emo image going on, wearing all the black and _scowling_ at everyone all the time, but he probably weighs as much as a ten-year-old! I could pick him up and cuddle him like a teddy bear, he's that small, and he thinks he's so _tough_ , always flirting with that damn _accent_. And as if all _that_ wasn't enough, his house has _no_ food in it! When does he ever _eat_?

"Plus he has this weird obsession with Disney, and is always saying bad, inappropriate jokes at the _worst_ times, and he somehow managed to get me to go out on not one but _three_ dates with him, all for some dumb _manga_! I don't even know if I want to read it now, but I know I _have_ to because I went through all this damn trouble to get it! And you know what else? He somehow always manages to look _so fucking adorable_ no matter what the scenario, even playing fucking _laser tag_ , he looks like an angel. I mean, _seriously_ , how can one person be so attractive and not even _realize_ it?!"

Will sat back with a loud exhale, breathing heavily from his passionate, angry monologue. Lou was looking at him with a knowing look on her face, not saying anything for several seconds while Will's anger level slowly went from a million back to one, and he felt himself deflate like an old balloon.

"Anything else?" Lou asked carefully.

"The nickname," Will muttered, collapsing back on his pillows with an exhausted groan. " _Sunshine_. I mean, I guess I _did_ start it with 'ghost boy', but I was having an off day, okay? And not _just_ sunshine, oh no, but _my ray of sunshine_ , said in that fucking adorable sexy accent that— _Urggghhhh_ , I just _cannn'ttttt_!" He held a pillow to his face and rolled onto his stomach, wanting to curl up in a ball and die.

"See?" Lou said eventually, reaching out to rest a hand on his arm. "Don't you feel better now?"

"Noooo," Will moaned, turning to give her a miserable look. He returned his head to the pillow's protective softness and groaned. "If anything this made it a thousand times _worse_ , because now I can see that I'm totally head-over-fuckin'-heels for him! And after only a _week_ of knowing him! What is _wrong_ with me?"

"Oh, Will," Lou said gently, squeezing his hand. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't have told you to rant if you were going to feel this bad after. But this is a good thing, believe it or not."

" _How_?" Will demanded, pushing himself to a sitting position and glaring at her. "By all means, tell me, because I'm feeling about a million different things right now, and none of them are particularly _good_ , Lou. Christ."

His best friend gave him a small smile and squeezed his hand again. "Will, really. I know you think that this is going to ruin your life, but it won't. In fact, it could make it better. You'll never know unless you try."

"I'm sick of _trying_!" Will shouted at her, pulling his hand away as an irrational spike of anger traveled up his spine. "When my mom left, I _tried_ to pretend it didn't hurt! When school started, I _tried_ to pretend that I wasn't that sad kid whose parents split up! I _tried_ to pretend I didn't see all the pitying looks! I _tried_ my best in school, I _tried_ to be there for my dad, I _tried_ to take my mind off it all by immersing myself in school and sports; I _tried_. But it doesn't _work_ , Lou!" His voice broke on her name, and he buried his face in his hands. "It doesn't work..."

"Will..." she whispered after several seconds. He could hear the tears in her voice. Her weight shifted on the bed, and a second later warm arms wrapped around him as she hugged him. He tried to push her away. He felt mad; mad at Nico, mad at Lou, mad at his mother for leaving him, mad at _himself_ for breaking down like this after so long of acting carefree and keeping it all together. He _tried_ to push her away, but her arms were tight and strong around him. He had a fleeting thought that they were all that was holding him together.

"Will, it's okay," she whispered, hugging him tighter. He felt her tears tickle his scalp as they fell on his head. "It's okay," she repeated, more forcefully this time. The words made Will's resolve crumble, and he slumped against her, letting himself sob as she cradled him, just like she had when his mom first left; like she did every time he needed a friend. He realized for maybe the hundredth time that he had possibly the _best_ best friend in the world.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Will felt himself beginning to calm down, that familiar exhaustion you got after a long cry taking hold of him. He took one last deep inhale against Lou's shoulder, her vanilla and rosemary scent filling his nose and flushing his system with calmness. Finally, he was able to pull away, sniffling, and Lou gave him a smile. "Better?"

He nodded, giving her a weak smile in return. "Yeah. Thanks, Lou. Have I mentioned that you're the best friend in the world?"

"You could _stand_ to mention it a bit more often," she joked offhandedly, poking him in the side. They both laughed, and Will gave her a smile—a real one this time. "Really, Lou; thank you. Not just for the hugging thing, but also for making me rant like that. It's probably a good thing that you got me to stop being an oblivious idiot."

"Yeah, well, that's the Will I love," Lou said, nudging him playfully with her shoulder. "Oblivious and idiotic."

Will laughed. "True. Besides, if you didn't put up with me, who would?"

Lou hopped to her feet and walked over to the window, tossing a smile over her shoulder at Will. "Oh, I think _Nico_ would." That comment earned her an un-amused look from Will. "Not funny," he said, throwing a pillow at her. She caught it with ease and tossed it back with a grin. "Isn't it though?"

She leaned over and opened the window. One leg swung over the sill, she turned and gave Will a wink and a thumbs-up. "I gotta go to work, babe, but I'll talk to you first thing after my shift." Will nodded, sitting cross-legged and absently stroking the pillow Lou had thrown. "Tell your mom hi for me."

"I will!" Lou swung her other leg over the ledge. Sliding out onto the tree branch she always used to enter and exit, she stuck her upper half back in through the window and pointed at him. "Hey, remember; you are an oblivious idiot that is—"

"—in love with Nico," Will finished, rolling his eyes. "I know. Just keep rubbing salt in the wound, there, Lou. It's not like we just had a huge emotional crying and hugging feels fest or anything."

Lou rolled her eyes but gave him a smile. "Shut up. I just want you to remember something."

"That I'm an oblivious idiot?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.

His best friend snorted. "No, something else, stupid." Her expression turned serious, and she looked him straight in the eye. "You don't get to choose who you fall in love with, Will. In fact, you're lucky if you fall in love at all, so if you _do_ find someone, you should feel lucky. Very lucky." She turned to go again but looked back at him one last time. "Just remember that."

* * *

 **A/N:** Haha, you probably weren't expecting that, were ya? XD Yeah, I figured we needed a little angst after all the nice fluff I gave you guys. (Ily guys, pls don't kill me for this c:) Also, for those of you wondering about Will's past, don't worry; more will be revealed as the story goes on (same w/ Nico.) This was an extra-long chapter, with lots of Lou/Will BrOTP, so hopefully you guys will forgive me for the angstiness ;)

No translations for this chapter, but plenty of crying. (Haha, not sorry.) Next time should be a bit more interesting, since we'll get to see if Nico has gotten his shit together yet, as our baby William has XD Remember to follow and favorite if you liked the story, and feel free to leave suggestions/comments/corrections down in the review section, and also feel free to PM me with any questions. Stay awesome, babes! ^-^


	14. Realizations

**A/N:** Next chapter is here, because I really need to start working on this story more XD Another Will POV this time, and hopefully Nico's gotten himself together a little since last time :p A huge thank you goes out to all of you who continue to review/PM with me about the story, because I love talking to you guys, and hearing your opinions on the story. Keep being awesome, and enjoy the chapter ;)

As always, le textin' guide;

 _Italics_ = Will

Underlined = Lou

 _ **Bold, underlined, and italics**_ = You'll seeeee ;) (And ik this was Apollo in a previous chapter, but I ran out of things, so this is improvisation, and will likely be used again in the future XD)

* * *

 **14**

 **Will**

* * *

Will woke with the sun on his face, and he gave a contented, half-asleep smile, yawning as he opened his eyes and stretched, basking in the warm sunlight. He sat up and took a deep breath in, releasing it in a long, happy sigh and swinging his legs over the bed, the floor cool against his bare feet. Today was going to be a good day. He just knew it.

Going through his usual morning routine, he washed his face with cool water and pulled his shirt back on, which he had discarded sometime during the night. He grabbed his phone from the floor—he'd fallen asleep with it, and it had been knocked off the bed by his sleep throes—and checked it for any new texts. He hoped (although he was embarrassed to admit this) for a text from Nico, but wasn't expecting much since he'd entirely ignored him yesterday.

His (albeit small) hopes were crushed when he saw no text from the Italian, but he quickly brushed it off. Nothing could affect him today. This was going to be a good day, by the _gods_ , this was going to be a good day. He did have a text from Lou, and, surprisingly, from an unknown number. Curiosity getting the better of him, he swiped right on the unknown number's text, bringing up the screen.

 _ **10:14 PM - Hey, Will, this is Nico's sister, Bianca. I just wanted to let you know—and don't tell Nico that I did this—that he's not mad at you because I know you're probably freaking out right now. He's just figuring some things out, but he'll probably text you sometime tomorrow, or the next day at the latest. Just wanted to let you know so you're not ripping your hair out or something.**_

Will heaved a sigh of relief, collapsing back on the bed with a smile. For some reason, hearing that Nico wasn't mad at him made him feel better, even though he knew he hadn't really done anything that warranted the silent treatment. Although, he had to wonder what Nico was "figuring out," as Bianca had said. He hoped nothing bad had happened. But no, Bianca would have told him if that was the case, so Nico must've been fine.

Shrugging, Will held his finger over her number and added it to his contacts, figuring it couldn't hurt to save it for future use. Maybe she'd be the messenger, so to speak, if anything like this ever happened again (which Will hoped was not the case, but hey, it was always a possibility.)

Now satisfied on the Nico front, Will flipped over to Lou's text and quickly skimmed over it.

7:27 AM - Hey, Will, I just opened L & L for Uncle Lucas 'cause he had to take a sick day. Wanna come over and help man the extra register? He said we could have anything from the pastry shelf for freeeee~ ;)

 _This day keeps getting better and better._ Grinning, Will typed out a quick response.

 _8:40 AM - Of course! Save me 2 vanilla bean scones and I'll be over in 20 :D_

As soon as the text was sent, Will clicked off his phone, pulled on a pair of jeans, and raced down the stairs. He scrawled a hasty note on a piece of scratch paper telling his dad where he was going and left it on the kitchen table where he could easily find it. Tugging on his yellow Converses, he unlocked the door, stuck his house key in his back pocket, and ran out the door to meet his best friend.

* * *

"Will, babe, you're here!" Lou called from behind the counter as soon as he walked in. "Grab an apron and get back here!" She was ringing up a customer, wearing Lemon & Lime's aforementioned apron—which was pastel pink, inscribed with their logo in fancy white cursive letters—over her gray Aerosmith t-shirt, and had her short, unruly brown hair messily pinned back with two red barrettes.

"Okay!" Will called back with a smile, grabbing an apron from the hook beside the pastry case and ducking behind the counter. He manned the empty register—L & L had two, one on each end of the glass cases—and quickly started ringing people up as they split between his register and Lou's.

It was a Saturday, one of the café's busiest days, so the place was fairly packed, both Lou and Will juggling more than ten customers each. By the time they had taken care of them all, the two flopped down on a couch Lou's uncle kept in the back for precisely this purpose, and leaned on each other, exhausted. There were only a few people scattered about the place now, the "rush hour" seemingly over, leaving just a couple stragglers sitting calmly at tables, sipping coffee and snacking on pastries.

"Gosh, that was crazy," Will said, shaking his head. "I didn't realize this place was that popular."

"Well, if we love it so much, others probably do, too," Lou pointed out, flashing him a smile. "C'mon," she said, pushing herself to her feet and dusting off her hands and pulling off her apron. "Let's get some pastries. I'd say we've earned them."

* * *

A few minutes later, after the last few customers had wandered off, Lou flipped the sign on the door to read "Closed" and opened up the pastry case, grabbing the two vanilla bean scones she'd promised Will, along with a rose-shaped cake-pop for herself, and they settled at a cozy corner table close to one of the vents, the cool air blowing on their heads and offering much-needed respite from the heat.

Will had made them some hot chocolate, and he sipped his with a content sigh. "Remind me to hug your uncle when I see him. Gods, his pastries—I don't know how he does it." He took another bite of scone and gave a blissful sigh, scrunching his forehead up in happiness. "So good."

His best friend laughed and playfully punched his shoulder. "Yeah, I will. But"—her tone turned serious—"we need to talk, Will. After last night, how are you feeling?"

Holding a hand to the back of his neck, Will gave a sheepish laugh and shrugged. "Oh, right, last night... Yeah, I'm fine, Lou. Talking to you really helped, and helped me realize a few things..." He trailed off, blushing slightly. He'd stayed up late the previous night thinking about what Lou had said to him. _You don't get to choose who you fall in love with, Will. In fact, you're lucky if you fall in love at all, so if you do find someone, you should feel lucky. Very lucky. Just remember that._

It had kept him awake for a long while, as he tossed and turned in his bed, staring up at the dark ceiling. But it had also, in a way, helped him to sort out the thoughts running through his mind, and build a clearer image of his feelings and what he wanted. He'd come to several conclusions, in fact. 1.) He was still holding some remorse from his mother leaving him, but it was okay; he would be fine. 2.) Lou was possibly the best person in the entire universe. And 3.) He was (unfortunately) madly in love with Nico, who wasn't even talking to him at the moment...

That thought put a slight damper on Will's mood, and he slumped in his chair slightly, frowning. Meanwhile, Lou was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, an expectant look on her face. "And what were those things...?" she finally prompted, seemingly unable to resist asking any longer.

Glancing up at her, Will's frown deepened and he breathed a long sigh through his nose. "Well... first off, you were right. I _am_..." He swallowed, still having difficulty owning up to it out loud. "I _am_... in l-love... with Nico." He faltered on the word 'love' and felt himself flushing red. Gods, he really was acting like a 12-year-old with a crush. But Lou seemingly didn't care, cheering and giving him a wide grin. "Finally, the oblivious boy stops being oblivious!"

Will rolled his eyes, feeling a smile creeping back onto his face. "Yeah, I guess so. But... he still isn't talking to me. Although, his sister did send me a text."

Lou raised an eyebrow, a look of surprise on her face. "Really? Show me."

Dutifully, Will pulled out his phone and handed it over, showing her the text Bianca had sent him the previous night. Her eyes scanned it, reading it over several times as she mouthed the words to herself. Finally, she looked up at him with a flabbergasted expression. "What is he 'sorting out', do you think?"

Will slumped in his chair with a relieved sigh, glad she seemed to be thinking the same things he had. "I don't know. But that text is from last night, saying he'd text me 'tomorrow', which is _today_ , and he still hasn't." He frowned slightly. "Although, she _did_ say it could be tomorrow, too. Or maybe he'll just text me later today?" He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "I don't know. What do you think?"

"Honestly?" Lou shrugged, setting his phone on the table in between them. "No idea. But you shouldn't worry about it, Will. _Yes_ , I wanted you to realize your crush, but I don't want you to be in emotional turmoil over it! Really, just hang out with me today, and if di Angelo texts you, you go get yo' man, and if not, we'll wait and see. Right?"

Chuckling at Lou's phrasing, Will nodded, giving her a grateful smile. "Right. You're right. Thanks, Lou."

"'Course, babe," she said, squeezing his hand. After that, her expression turned playful again, and she waggled her eyebrows at him. "Hey, what say you we go prank the Stolls? Haven't done it in a while, and they're the only ones that prove to be challenging opponents." She grinned devilishly. "It's no fun if the victim doesn't fight back."

Will rolled his eyes slightly. "Lou, no. Remember what happened last time? We had glitter stuck everywhere for _months_ afterward." He shuddered, hugging himself at the awful memory. "I don't want to pick glitter out of my eyelashes again, Lou!"

His friend laughed, her green eyes shining with humor. "Yeah, fair enough. But we gotta do _something_ to get your mind off our little Angel Boy." She pursed her lips in thought. "Hmmm... how about we go to the arcade and play laser tag? Without those two freaks blondie and pool boy, it'll be way more fun."

Will laughed at Jason and Percy's impromptu nicknames and nodded. "Sure, Lou. I haven't beaten my high score yet, anyway. I should probably do a couple practice rounds to get back in shape for the tournament in July. After all, Valdez _barely_ beat me last time!" He was speaking of Leo Valdez, the other unofficial laser tag god, who had beaten him in the last LLT the previous year.

The LLT (short for the Legendary Laser Tournament) was an annual event hosted by Critical Hit Arcade and took place every year on July 16th. Anyone could enter, and it was available to all ages. Each team had to consist of two or more players, but when someone was shot, they were out of the game for good, so it usually came down to the two best players—almost always Leo and Will.

Lou nodded sagely, understanding Will's meaning right away. (She too partook in the LLT, as Will's second in command.) "Right. I mean, you wouldn't have lost if you hadn't tripped, so technically it wasn't even a fair win on Valdez's part."

"Exactly!" Will exclaimed, hitting the table with a fist and shaking his head. "But this year I'm going to mop the floor with him. I'll take him out first, and hopefully get to face someone new this year."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Lou mused. Finishing her cake-pop, she brushed the crumbs off her shirt and stood, flashing Will a wide grin. "Let's go kick some laser tag _ass_."

* * *

 **A/N:** No translations for this chapter, and no Nico yet, but don't worry. Next time is a Nico POV, so you'll get to see what's up with him ;) Anyway, as you guys can now see, Will is obsessed with laser tag XD As first I was going to have it be an occasional splurge, but I decided it would be fun if he was addicted to it, since it adds onto his character a bit. I also had some more Will/Lou BrOTP, because Lou = bae ❤

Anyway, please let me know what you thought of the chapter because I love hearing your guys' opinions on the story :D Remember to follow, favorite, and review for more content from me, and stay tuned for the next chapter ;)


	15. Talk To Him

**A/N:** Chapter 15, and it's a NICO POV! WHOOO! Once again, a _huge_ thanks to everyone leaving reviews and generally supporting the story. You guys are amazing! Keep being awesome and showing your love for the story, and enjoy the chapter, lovelies! You deserve it ;)

Also, we're almost to 90 reviews! Thank you all so much. I never thought when I started this story that it would get such positive feedback and such a great following, so I'd just like to let you guys know that I appreciate each and every one of you for contributing to the progress of this story, because I honestly couldn't have done it without your support. You guys inspire me :3

Okay, enough sappy stuff XD Let's get started!

Texting guide;

 **Bold** = Nico

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 _Italics_ = Will

 _Underlined and italics _ = Hazel

* * *

 **15**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico stared down at the text he'd typed out on his phone with a worried look, biting his lip nervously. _Hey, Will. Sorry I didn't respond to your texts. Can we maybe meet up later?_ It was the sixth attempt, and yet Nico still wasn't happy with it. What was he missing? Sighing in frustration, he repeatedly pressed the backspace key until the spot was empty again, just waiting for him to try and formulate another text.

It was late Sunday morning, and he was attempting to apologize to Will for ignoring him for almost two full days, but thus far was having little luck in doing so. Seriously, though, how was he supposed to go about it? 'Hey Will, sorry I was a jerk and totally didn't talk to you or respond to your texts with no explanation as to why for two days, can we meet up and talk'? No matter what he came up with, he just couldn't seem to think of a good way to say he was sorry.

Sighing, he turned off his phone and stuck it in his sweatshirt pocket, flopping back across his bed with a defeated groan. He'd taken Reyna's advice and just thought about his feelings for twenty-four hours, and this is where it got him. He hadn't "figured anything out" or even cleared anything up. His mind had mostly been blank; empty.

Sure, he had thought about Will, but did that mean he liked him? Sure, he could admit that Will was attractive, but anyone with eyes in their head would say the same thing, so that didn't prove anything. And _sure_ , he liked hanging out with him, but who's to say he wanted to be anything more than just friends? How was he supposed to draw the line between like and (although he hated to use the middle school term) _like_ _like_?

Flipping onto his back, he rested his hands on his stomach and stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars glued to the black ceiling. For as long as Nico could remember, everyone had fit into two solid categories; 'People I Like', and 'People I Don't Like'. But now, for the first time, there was someone who didn't fit into either, and he had blond hair and eyes as blue as the sky. Nico was about 1,000,000% done.

In his pocket, his phone dinged, and he pulled it out with a sigh, squinting as the bright screen lit up to reveal a text from Jason.

 **10:54 AM - Hey, Neeks. Reyna told me about that whole "thinking about your feelings" thing you did yesterday. As your best friend, I am duly obligated to ask; how'd it go?**

Nico sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to formulate a response that didn't involve swear words.

 **10:55 AM - It went fine. Although you can report back to her that I didn't really do much soul-searching, and so had 0 dramatic revaluations about my innermost feelings. Sorry to disappoint.**

 **10:55 AM - What, so you thought about nothing the whole day? I find that hard to believe. Follow-up; wasn't this about Will? And if so, follow-follow-up; did you think about him during your "day of feelings"?**

 **10:56 AM - Well... I mean it's hard not to think about someone when you're trying NOT to think of them, so... of course I thought of him! But I mean it wasn't like romantic or anything. Platonic thinking. It was very dull, platonic thinking.**

 **10:56 AM - Nico, the fact that you feel the need to add on "platonic" should clear up a few things for you right off the bat. I mean, every time I bring up hanging w/ Perce, I don't add "platonically", do I, Nico?**

Nico had to think about that for a second. Maybe Jason was right. While he and Percy did (notably) have one of the strongest bromances in the western United States (debatably the _entire_ United States), Jason never said anything with him was "platonic", even though all the girls at school had fangirl crack ship dreams of the two of them getting together some day.

 **10:58 AM - I only add it because I know you'll insinuate... THINGS if I don't!**

 **10:58 AM - Oh, c'mon, Neeks, you know I wouldn't. You know what, if Reyna's idea didn't work, I have one of my own. Instead of avoiding Will, spend time with him, instead. And if you find yourself feeling drawn to him in, you know, WAYS, then that's that, right?**

 **10:59 AM - Fine, if you'll stop bugging me about this, fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to construct an apology text to Will...**

 **11:00 AM - Okay, but just... just TALK to him, Neeks. Seriously. Talk to him.**

Rolling his eyes and turning back to Will's texts, Nico sighed and closed his eyes for a second, trying to collect himself. Now not only Reyna but Jason as well was bothering him. Did they not see that he wanted to clear everything with Will up just as much as they did, if not more so? He didn't want to be wallowing in confusion like this. It wasn't his choice.

Puffing out his cheeks in annoyance, Nico turned his thoughts to the much safer subject of how he was going to apologize to Will. He had to include the actual words 'I'm sorry', and preferably not involve his actual reason for giving the boy the silent treatment in the first place, so what could he say that fit those criteria? He started simple.

 _Hey, Will. I'm sorry for ignoring you these past couple of days._

Okay, good, good. This was a good start. Now to add to it.

 _I was just thinking about some stuff, but I've sorted it out now._

Almost, but not _quite..._

 _How about I buy you lunch to make up for it? I'd love to see you._

He grimaced and changed 'love' to 'like', reading the text over a couple times to see if he was truly satisfied with it. _Hey, Will. I'm sorry for ignoring you these past couple of days._ _I was just thinking about some stuff, but I've sorted it out now._ _How about I buy you lunch to make up for it? I'd like to see you._ It looked good to him. Before he could chicken out, Nico held his breath and pressed send, releasing it all in one big gasp and falling back across his mattress.

"I did it..." he whispered to himself, clenching his fist in victory. "See, Nico, that wasn't so hard. But..." He grimaced. "Now I can only hope he's not too angry to respond..."

* * *

Nico waited. And waited. And waited.

He probably deserved this.

He'd been horrible to Will. He should've explained himself, or given him some sort of reason.

Ugh, Will probably hated him now. _Gods_ , he had been so—

The cheerful ding of his phone broke Nico out of his depressed stupor, and he jumped, fumbling around with the phone, his fingers feeling numb until he managed to get a secure hold on it, and looked down at the screen. It was Will. (It was Will, _finally_!)

 _11:23 AM - ... I guess I can't turn down free food. Where should I meet you?_

Nico let out a relieved sigh, feeling a smile cross his face. However, he ran into a problem. Where could he take Will? He didn't really know any places to eat (besides McDonald's, and he couldn't take Will _there_.) Biting his lip, he flipped over to Hazel's texts. She was a major connoisseur of good restaurants, because she and her boyfriend Frank had started a list of the best places to eat in their town for fun the previous summer, and it had kind of continued on from there.

 **11:25 AM - Hey, Hazel, I need a restaurant recommendation. Got anything?**

She texted back less than a second later.

 _11:25 AM - Of course! What were you thinking? Italian? Chinese, Indian, French? Greek?_

 **11:26 AM - Um... I don't really know what he likes, so... I guess whatever you think would be best.**

 _11:26 AM - Ooh, it's a him, huh? ;) I see._

Flushing slightly, Nico rolled his eyes as he texted her back.

 **11:27 AM - Yes, Hazel. Now please just tell me a restaurant name. It's kind of important.**

 _11:27 AM - Okay, okay! Hmmm... I'd have to go with either Painted Deer (BBQ), The Mountain Clam (seafood), or Pavilion (Italian). Depends on what you're in the mood for. What do you think?_

 **11:28 AM - Um... I know it's pretty cheesy to take him to an Italian place, but... I hate seafood, and BBQ... ew.**

 _11:28 AM - Okay, well Pavilion it is, then. I'll text you the address!_

 **11:29 AM - Thanks, Hazel. I owe you one.**

 _11:29 AM - It's no problem at all, Nico. Ask me for help whenever! And you totally have to call me and tell me everything after your date!_

Nico grimaced, but he wasn't about to argue with her about it being a date.

 **11:30 AM - Okay, I will. Talk to you soon.**

Taking a deep breath, he went back to Will's texts and typed out a simple sentence.

 **11:31 AM - Pavilion, 12:30. I can text you the address.**

 _11:31 AM - Okay. See you then._

Nico felt himself grinning, and buried his face in his pillow, yelling at the top of his lungs and kicking his legs back and forth, unable to contain his excitement. He hadn't ruined things with Will, after all.

* * *

At 12:30, Nico sat on a bench outside Pavilion, his hands resting in his lap, strangling his phone with a white-knuckled grip. His breath felt weak, his hands were shaking, and he could feel himself sweating in the summer sun. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. Maybe because he was scared that Will would be angry at him. Yeah, that was probably it.

But there was nothing to worry about. Nico was sure Will wasn't mad. Why would he have agreed to meet for lunch if he was? Nico froze, gulping. Maybe he just wanted to tell him how much he loathed him in person... Maybe even get a few kicks or punches in... Oh, Gods, Nico was going to _dieeee_...

"Nico?"

Nico whipped his head up so fast he felt his neck crack. Will was standing in front of him, wearing ripped, faded jeans and a loose Fairy Tail t-shirt. His blond hair was messy, but almost in an intentional way, as if he had combed through it but then decided it looked too neat and messed it up again. It worked for him.

"Oh, um, W-Will." Nico stood up quickly, his cheeks reddening at how nervous he sounded. "Thank you for coming."

Will took a step closer to him, and Nico thought he might smack him, but instead he simply smiled. "Sure. Thanks for inviting me."

"N-no problem." For a few seconds Nico stood there awkwardly while Will smiled at him, until he snapped himself out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Um, w-why don't we go inside?"

Nodding, Will followed him inside, where the waiter at the front seated them at a small table in a secluded front corner. The restaurant was simple but nice, with walls the color of fine wine, plain wooden tables, and a very open layout, with plain decor. On the far wall, there was a phrase written in a curling black script; _Cibo, Amore, Famiglia._

"So," Will said, and Nico's gaze was drawn back to him, "why _were_ you giving me the silent treatment?"

Grimacing, Nico played with the edge of one of the dark blue cloth napkins. "Well, I was— I was... thinking. I apologize for not saying something to you. I should have... I mean, I wasn't mad at you— I'm _not_ mad at you." He looked down. "I would completely understand if _you_ were mad at _me_ , though..."

Will did something then that utterly surprised Nico, which was hard to do. He laughed.

"Nico, I'm not mad at you." He calmed his laughing and instead smiled, his blue eyes shining. "I was a little, at first. I actually thought _you_ were mad at _me_ because I ran out like that, but when I texted you why, and you didn't say anything... I was worried. And _then_ I was mad."

"But..." Nico looked up at him cautiously. "You're not mad anymore?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. And you owe that to Lou, because she calmed me down. If she hadn't, I probably would still want to bash your skull in with a violin."

Nico's eyes widened. "Um... I should probably thank her then, huh?"

Will laughed again. (Gods, that sound never got old.) "Yeah, probably so." His gaze turned more serious and he opened his menu. "We should probably order. Then we can talk, because believe you me, I have _a lot_ to say."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hope you guys liked the chapter. Nico and Will have started talking again, and will hopefully become friends again XD I wanted to focus on some more of Nico's relationships this chapter like I did with Will in chap. 13, so I brought in Hazel and Jason this time around. I'll probably do that some more next time, and yes, I know you guys are probably thinking Will and Nico will get together next chapter, but nope :p Sadly not yet, but we're gettin' there, guys. Anyway, please remember to follow and favorite to show your support, and leave suggestions/comments/corrections down in the review section :)

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Cibo, Amore, Famiglia. = Food, Love, Family.


	16. Making Up

**A/N:** First of all, Happy New Years, lovelies! I hope you guys are all having a great time and are excited for the new year! Chapter 16 is here, and I hope you guys like it :D

Texting guide;

 **Bold** = Nico

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 _Italics_ = Will

* * *

 **16**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico and Will stayed at Pavilion for several hours. It seemed they could never run out of things to talk about. But, inevitably, the did, and now they were standing outside. Nico didn't really want Will to leave, though he did feel like a weight had been lifted from his chest after the blond had forgiven him.

The silence was too awkward for Nico to handle, so he decided to say something, but Will beat him to the punch. "Thanks for lunch and for, ya know, clearing up the whole "not talking to me" thing."

Nico winced. "Yeah, once again, I'm very sorry about that. It won't happen again."

Will laughed and waved a hand dismissively. "I was just kidding. Everything is forgiven. Besides," he said, blue eyes sparkling with amusement, "you're too cute to stay mad at, death boy."

"Not funny," Nico warned, silently cursing himself as his cheeks reddened.

The blond simply laughed again, flashing his familiar thousand-watt smile. "I think it's pretty funny."

"You're insufferable," Nico complained, but he felt a small smile tug at the corners of his lips. Will waggled his eyebrows goofily, holding his arms out as if he wanted a hug. "Aw, cmon, you know I'm charming. It's one of my many gifts. Boyishly charming,"—he started ticking them off on his fingers—"handsome, great sense of humor, totally irresis— _Oof_!" He let out a breathless laugh as Nico punched him in the shoulder and he danced to the side to avoid him.

Scowling, Nico pointed at him accusingly. " _You_ are a dork," he announced, placing his hands on his hips. Feeling a buzz in the back pocket of his jeans, he pulled out his phone to see a text from his dad. "And _I_ have to get home." He sent a quick response and stuck the phone back in his pocket, looking up at Will apologetically. "Sorry to duck out on you."

"Nah, don't worry about it," the blond said with an understanding smile. "Last time it was me, after all." He grinned. "I think you're owed some payback."

Nico laughed at that. Will really was one of a kind. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He turned, shaking his head with an amused smile. "See you around, Solace."

There was a pause. "Hey, Nico, I was wondering..." The boy paused and turned to look back at Will, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah? Wondering what?"

Will scratched the back of his neck and shifted slightly on his feet. "My friend Cecil is having a party this weekend. I was wondering if you... wanted to come? It'll just be a small thing. Not super crowded or anything. A few of Cecil's other friends. Nothing too major." He paused, seeming to realize he was rambling and blushed slightly. "So, will you come?"

 _Of_ _course_ he wanted to go to a party with Will _fucking_ Solace. But he couldn't seem too enthusiastic when accepting his offer. He didn't want to seem desperate or anything like that. But at the same time, he was absolutely bursting at the seems. Will, _Will_ was asking him to a party. And sure it wasn't like a _date_ or anything, but still. Nico had never been to a party before.

"Yeah," he finally said, trying not to smile too widely. "Sure, I'd love to."

Will seemed relieved. "Great!" He coughed. "Um, I mean good. Good. I'll text you the details?"

"Sounds great," Nico agreed. He couldn't help but smile at how dorky the boy was being. "I've really got to go now, but I'll text you later." He waved and started walking again, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans, letting himself grin now that his back was turned.

"Okay," Will called out, no doubt with a smile. "See you soon!"

"See you soon," Nico repeated, feeling a sudden wave of warmth. _That went better than expected._

* * *

Later that night, after he'd eaten dinner, Nico lay down on his bed and pulled out his phone to check his texts, like he did every night. As expected, there were several from Jason, one from Hazel asking about the "date" and its happenings, and one from Will. Nico clicked on that one first.

 _8:34 PM - The party's at nine tomorrow night. Should I give you the address so we can meet up, or do you want me to pick you up?_

Nico thought for a second before responding.

 **8:35 PM - Pick me up?**

 _8:35 PM - Sure thing. I'll be there around... eight?_

 **8:36 PM- Sounds good. Thanks**

 _8:37 PM - No problem ;) See you tomorrow. Goodnight_

 **8:38 PM - Sleep already ill mio raggio di sole? It's a little early**

 _5:38 PM - what can I say? Gotta get my ten hours ghost boy~ You should sleep too_

Nico rolled his eyes with a smile.

 **8:39 PM - Sure thing Solace. Buonanotte**

 _8:40 PM - Sleep well, Nico :)_

Unable to stop himself from grinning, Nico switched over to look at his texts from Jason.

 **12:40 PM - So I hear you took my advice Neeks? Call me when you get home! (Btw next time you better tell me if you're planning on going out on a date Nico!)**

Rolling his eyes, he typed out a quick response to his best friend, trying to fight back his irritation.

 **8:43 PM - I guess I sort of took your advice, but it wasn't really a date, okay? I was just apologizing to him for the whole "ignoring" thing. And do I have to call? I know you're going to talk my ear off...**

 **8:44 PM - It was still a date in my opinion. Like an apology date. And it's good that you apologized. Did he understand? Did he forgive you? (Yes, you still have to call. And I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that "talk your ear off" bit, Nico.)**

Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, Nico opted for calling Jason instead of texting him back. The phone rang all of three seconds before his best friend answered, and, of course, immediately shouted a greeting at the top of his lungs. "NICCCOOO HEEEEEYYYYY BUDDDDYYYY!"

Wincing, he held the phone away from his ear, waiting for Jason's enthusiasm to die down to tolerable, non-deafening levels. "Hello, Jason. To answer your questions, yes, he was very understanding, and completely forgave me." Nico pushed himself to a sitting position against his headboard and crossed his legs. "He actually invited me to a party tomorrow."

"WHAT?!"

Nico winced again. "Ah, okay, tone it down three levels. He asked me to go to a party his friend is having. He said it was going to be a small thing. Not many people. I think I can handle it. And besides, it's not like I could say no, is it? I mean it's Will fucking Solace, of course I'm going to go."

"See, this is good!" Jason exclaimed. "You guys are back on speaking terms, and he invited you to a party! You know what kinds of things happen at parties Nico? Spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, any number of relationship starter-uppers. This is definitely progress."

"Jason," Nico sighed out, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. "I'm not looking to start a relationship. I told you I would hang around him and see how I felt, and I did, but I'm still undecided. I need more time to sort out my feelings. This is just a friend thing, anyway. He said so himself."

Jason sighed, and Nico could practically see him shaking his head. "Okay, _finnneeee_. Think about it all your little heart desires, but I'm telling you, you're in love with Will. Trust me. I know these things. Relationship master at your service. I mean, how do you think I scored someone as awesome as Piper? Obviously I'm a romance _machine_."

Nico snorted. "Yeah, sure thing, Jason. Whatever you say."

"Really, Neeks. You'll see. I'll be proved right in no time. Though I do wish Perce and I could accompany you, I don't want to be a cock-block or anything..."

"Oh my Goooodddd," Nico groaned, covering his flushed face with his hands. "Jason _whyyyy_ do you say things like that? _You're_ my embarrassing friend, you know that, right?"

" _Me_?" He could picture Jason's grin. "What does that make Percy, then?"

"The goofy, always-seems-like-they're-drunk friend," Nico said immediately. He'd plotted this out a while ago. "And Hazel is the 1930s friend, Frank is the teddy-bear, Reyna is the mom, Piper is the beauty queen, Annabeth is—"

"Wow, you've really thought about this, haven't you?" Jason cleared his throat. "Anyway, back on track. As soon as you get home—if you're not too drunk, that is—call me. _Immediately_. _Whatever_ the circumstances. Even if it's, like, three AM. Call me. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Get it?"

"Got it...?" Nico said, brows furrowed in amusement.

"Good. Now, I've got to go. But I'm coming over tomorrow morning with Piper to help you pick what to wear for the party. And don't even _try_ to complain! I know if I let you do it on your own, you'd end up wearing the same emo clothes you wear every day, and I can't accept that because I love you."

"Okay," Nico agreed reluctantly, knowing he couldn't sway Jason when he got like this. " _Fine_. But I'm not wearing anything too fancy. It's a casual party. And don't you _dare_ let Piper start rearranging and sorting through my closet like last time! I couldn't find anything for _weeks_."

"I'll try to hold her back," Jason promised with a chuckle. "She's just trying to help. I mean, you only own black. It's kinda like her worst nightmare."

"Why?" Nico puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "Black goes with everything."

" _Not_ a valid argument," Jason protested. They went on to bicker over the subject for another twenty minutes before Jason eventually got them back on track. "Anyway, I'm gonna go to bed, but I'll see you tomorrow around eleven, and I'll even bring lunch."

"Okay," Nico agreed weakly, tired out from Jason's whirlwind conversation. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Nico. Sleep tight!"

"Goodnight," he mumbled. Jason hung up and Nico dropped his phone on his side-table, collapsing across his bed with a long, tired sigh. It was only 9, and he never went to bed before 10, but he felt drop-dead tired. Crawling under his covers, he plugged in his phone and clicked off the light, closing his eyes with a yawn. It wasn't long before sleep overtook him, and he drifted off into a dreamless daze.

* * *

In the morning, Nico was awoken by the sun through the window. He groaned and rolled back over, but the brightness has roughly drug his brain from sleep's gentle clutches, preventing him from returning to it. Yawning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them before checking the time on his phone. 10:15.

"I've got time." He pulled himself out of bed and threw on a fresh set of clothes so Jason wouldn't mother hen over him. Next on the agenda was breakfast, which was fulfilled with a bowl of instant oatmeal and a cup of black coffee, which of course woke him right up. By the time he'd cleared everything up, it was nearing eleven, and he felt awake enough to deal with Jason.

The doorbell rang at around eleven fifteen, and Nico opened it to find Jason and Piper standing there, holding bags of Chinese takeout. He let them in, and his friends immediately started setting out the food on the kitchen table. The smell of Kung Pao Chicken inevitably woke up Hades, who stumbled down the hall and groggily poked his head in the kitchen.

Jason, being the gentlemen he was, invited Nico's father to join them. The offer was gruffly accepted and Hades fell into a chair, where Nico handed him a cup of coffee in his favorite mug. They proceeded to eat the Chinese, which was gone quickly between the four of them (though Piper really only ate the vegetable eggrolls and fried rice).

As soon as the dishes were cleared, Jason, Piper, and Nico headed upstairs for what Nico had been dreading all morning: Picking out an outfit. He was one for dressing simply, which is why he owned clothes in only one, simple color. Black went with everything, as he had said before, so no matter what he wore it always looked passably good, which was A-Okay with him.

But _unfortunately_ , Piper and Jason didn't see it that way. As soon as they were in his room, Nico's friends whirled around on him with large and (what looked like to him) sadistic smiles. Piper grabbed him by the shoulders. "Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Yay, I finally got this out. I've got a plot figured out, so this'll kinda put it in motion. I also decided to try and bring in Piper a bit more, because I totally adore her :3 Anyway, hope you guys liked this chapter, and sorry for any typos, because it's like 12 AM and I'm almost dead.

 **P.S:** Once again, Happy New Year everyone!

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Ill mio raggio di sole = My ray of sunshine.

 **-** Buonanotte - Goodnight.


	17. Cecil's Party: Part 1

**A/N:** Here's chapter seventeen, and we're back on a Will POV, and ready for the party ;) We'll see what developments arise this chapter c:

 **P.S:** Thank you guys _**SO MUCH**_ for 100 reviews! (100?! _What_?!) I am eternally grateful. I love you guys, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter, because each and every one of you are _awesome_! :3

* * *

 **17**

 **Will**

* * *

Will pulled up to Nico's house with five minutes left to eight. He killed the engine and sat there for a moment, attempting to calm himself. His heart was racing, his pulse beating too loudly in his throat, and his palms were all sweaty and gross. He wiped them on his jeans and took a shaky breath. There was really nothing to be nervous about. It was just a party.

Taking another deep breath, Will squared his shoulders and nodded once to himself before opening the door and sliding out of the car. He'd awoken that morning in a panic, and had practically fallen out of bed reaching for his phone to call Lou. She'd come over immediately, and spent the day analyzing his closet for an acceptable outfit for him to wear to the party.

And now here he was, standing on Nico's doorstep and ringing the bell, his heart in his throat, sweating buckets. He tried to calm himself down as he waited for the door to open. _It's just a party. It's just Nico. I don't need to be this nervous. Gods, why am I so_ nervous _?!_

Before he could continue his internal freak-out, the door opened, and Will's brain was shocked into silence for a moment as he caught sight of Nico. It wasn't that he looked particularly _different_ ; he was still the same old Nico. But something was... _new_ about him. Somehow he seemed... brighter. Will gave him a quick once-over, trying to decide what it was that was giving him pause.

Nico was wearing black jeans, red Converse sneakers, and a dark blue t-shirt emblazoned with the Pink Floyd band logo. (Will thought Lou would appreciate his taste in music.) Oh, wait. Will realized now. That was it: the blue t-shirt. He'd never seen Nico in any color other than _black_ before. And now, for some reason, seeing him wearing a different color made him seem more colorful himself.

Realizing he must've been staring, Will cleared his throat and offered the other boy a smile. "Hey. You look... wow. Blue's a great color on you." _Oh gods did I_ really _just say thatttt_ , he moaned inwardly, wanting to curl up and die. But to his great relief, Nico simply smiled at him, looking down at his shirt with a slight flush. "Thanks." They stared at each other.

 _Oh no this is gonna get awkward. Quick, say something else!_ "Ready to go?" Will asked, taking a deep breath to keep himself from sprinting back to his car and driving as far away as possible. Gods, the _idea_ of taking Nico to Cecil's party was _way_ easier than actually _doing_ it. He'd gone over the scenario about a bazillion times in his head, and it had never gone like this. But oh well, he figured it was better to just wing it than give up now.

Nico nodded with a small smile. He ducked back inside and called out a goodbye to his father before closing the door and turning to face Will. Before they could lapse into another bout of staring and awkward silence, Will turned around to face the driveway. "Follow me. My car's over here."

He walked to the car, still panicking slightly inside, but getting a better rein on his nerves now that nothing tragic or terribly embarrassing had happened. At the car he stepped aside and opened the passenger door with a flourish. He realized about a second too late that that was what you did for a date, and he was about to panic, but luckily Nico simply rolled his eyes and got in the car, allowing Will to close the door after him.

Practically sliding across the hood of the car to get to the other door, Will opened it and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine, which gave a mechanical rumble or protest, and pulled out of Nico's driveway, his eyes locked firmly on the road so Nico wouldn't distract him. (Because _gods_ how could he not be distracted by him?)

Will had been terrified that the whole ride would be filled with one long, awkward silence, but luckily that was not the case. After about a minute of Will driving, Nico seemed to relax in his seat, and he glanced over at Will with a smile. "Thanks for inviting me to this party." He turned to look out the window and arced his fingers together in his lap. "I've... never been to one before."

Unable to stop himself, Will looked over at him in surprise, though his eyes were quickly back on the road before anything could happen. "Really? You've _never_ been to a party? Not once in your _whole_ life? Not even, like, a birthday party?"

The Italian nodded, seeming slightly embarrassed to be admitting this to him. "Parties aren't really my thing... Jason and Percy are always inviting me to theirs, but... I don't like crowds all that much." He shrugged. "But you said this was going to be fairly small, so I figured I could handle it." He smiled to himself. "Besides, I've kinda always been curious about parties."

Shaking his head slightly, Will smiled wide. "You really are _something_ , aren't you?"

* * *

They arrived at the party after about ten minutes of driving, and Will pulled into the driveway and turned off the car, staring out the front window at the lit-up house ahead. He could hear loud base music even from here, and colored lights flashed through the front curtains. Will rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Cecil tends to go all out with his parties, even if there are only a few people there."

When Nico didn't respond, Will looked over at him to see him biting his lip, his eyes seeming almost scared. Not wanting to pressure him, Will rested a hand on his shoulder and said gently, "Hey, if you don't want to go, you don't have to. We can always go out to eat or something."

For a moment it seemed like he would take Will up on his offer, but after another second of thinking, Nico aquared his jaw and firmly shook his head. "No. It's okay. I'm fine. Let's go inside."

"Okay," Will said hesitantly, unbuckling his seat-belt. "But if you change your mind, tell me, and we can go."

Nico nodded, and they both got out of the car and started walking towards the house. The music was even louder outside the car, and Will was almost afraid to ring the bell when they got to the front door, nervous the music might be loud enough to make him deaf when they went inside. But he rang the bell anyway, and a second later someone shouted loudly from inside, "IT'S OPEN!"

Sharing a cautious look with Nico, Will opened the door and stepped past the threshold. As soon as the door closed behind him, the party hit him full force. "Small" was _not_ a word he would use to describe it. People flooded the house, holding drinks, dancing, and hanging out in large groups, laughing and talking loudly to be heard over the music. And _gods_ , the music. It was as loud as Will had feared, making his teeth rattle and causing the floor to vibrate beneath their feet.

Will and Nico stood shell-shocked in the doorway, until Cecil suddenly came careening out of the crowd, looping an arm around Will's shoulder and leaning heavily against him. Will could tell he was already drunk. "Heyyyy Will! Glad you could make it!"

Hooking one arm under his friend's armpit, Will pushed him slightly away so he could look at him, still half holding him up. "Cecil, you said this would be a _small_ party!" He had to shout to be heard about the blaring music. "This is not "small" by _any_ means!"

Cecil hiccuped and gave him a lopsided grin. "Sorrryyy buddio. I guess the word traveled father along the grapevine than expected." He shrugged, causing Will to lose his grip on him, and the boy tilted before managing to right himself by leaning against the wall. "C'mon Will, lighten up! Have fun!"

From the kitchen there came shouts of, "Cecil! Come on! We're doing a keg stand!" Cecil's grin widened, and he slapped Will on the shoulder. "I gotta go! My people need me!" He turned away before Will could protest, shooting finger-guns over his shoulder and calling, "Get out there and have a great time with your friend, Willie Nillie!"

Will face-palmed, cringing at his friend's ridiculous nickname for him. "Oh, _Christ_ _almighty_ , deliver my soul." He looked back up to see Nico standing there like a deer caught in headlights, and he quickly reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, Nico, I'm so, _so_ sorry about this. We can turn around and go _right now_ if you want to."

"N-no," Nico stammered after a moment, visibly gulping. "No, I'm fine." He turned to meet Will's eyes, offering a weak smile. "Let's stay. I need to learn to socialize at some point, right?"

Will gave him a proud smile. "Yeah. You're right." He turned to survey the party, hands on his hips. "Well... I'm not quite sure where to start here, but..." He shrugged and turned to look at Nico. "Wanna go explore a little before we stick to a location?"

Nico nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

* * *

They made a rough loop around the party, starting in the living room, where the dancing was taking place, and making their way through the rest of the first floor, ending in the kitchen. The previously mentioned keg stand had long since taken place, and a few drunk, delirious teens were sprawled out on the kitchen floor, victim to the challenge. Will and Nico carefully picked their way around the spreadeagled bodies until they reached a table which was laden with food and various drinks.

This was when Cecil chose to make a reappearance, much to Will's chagrin. (He was still kinda pissed about the party.) He staggered through the left archway, from the living room, and gave Will and Nico a wide grin. "Heyyyy guys, havin' fun, I hope?"

"Oh, yeah," Will said, crossing him arms with a glower. " _Buckets_." He sighed as his friend nearly tripped over his own feet and dropped his annoyed look for a worried one. "Cec, you're drunk. You need to have some water and lay down for a while, okay?"

"No waaayyyy," Cecil protested, catching himself on the corner of a table and leaning against it. "Not while the party is in full swing!" He paused, looking a little green in the face, but it quickly passed as he continued on, "Besides, the party games just started!" He grinned and held his arms out wide, before tilting and having to lower them to the table again. " _That's_ why I came to find you!"

Will shook his head with a sigh. "Cecil, really. Go drink some water."

His friend gave him a pouty look, but it quickly morphed into a wide smile. "Okay, fine, but first _you_ need to play at least _one_ game with us. _Then_ I'll go lay down. Promise." He made a sloppy X across his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Rolling his eyes, Will shook his head, but sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. _One_ game, and _then_ I'm dragging you to your room to sleep. Got it?"

"Got it!" Cecil cheered happily, whirling around and jerking a thumb back at them; an order to follow. "Come on!"

Will turned to give Nico an exasperated look. "I feel like I'm going to regret this..."

Nico gave him a small smile. "Yeah, well, then we'll both regret it, because I'm going to play, too."

* * *

The "game" was set up at Cecil's dining room table, and there were several people already gathered there, occupying a few of the many seats. Will and Nico joined them cautiously, along with Cecil, who collapsed into the chair to Will's right, while Nico was on his left.

"Okay," Cecil said happily, reaching under the table to retrieve an empty glass bottle and placing it in the center of the table. "Time to play "seven minutes in heaven"! I'll go first." As Will groaned inwardly, his friend reached forward and gave the bottle a good spin.

It rotated around a good ten times before coming to a stop on a pretty fair-haired girl. She blushed as both her and Cecil got up from the table and made their way to the stairs, followed by a cacophony of whistles and hoots from the other players. Will rubbed his forehead. Gods, his friend was such an idiot sometimes. He could feel a stress headache coming on now...

And it all got about a million times worse when a loud shout came from the front of the house. "YO, PARTY PEOPLE, THE STOLLS ARE HERE AND READY TO _HAVE SOME_ _FUNNN_!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Woo, the Stolls showed up. As you can all imagine, there's gonna be some trouble next chapter. Also, some drama. Not gonna reveal anything, but... it's gonna be _pretttttty_ major ;) Anyways, until next time!

 **P:S.:** No translations this chapter, but there should be some next time around. Ciao everyone! ;)

 **P.P.S.:** As always, remember to follow and favorite to show your love and support for the story, and review with any questions, comments, concerns, notes, corrections, or opinions! (Whoa, long list there XD)


	18. Cecil's Party: Part 2

**A/N:** Chapter 18 is here, and the Stolls are gonna cause some _trou~bleeee_! Enjoy, babes ;)

* * *

 **18**

 **Will**

* * *

Will quite literally fell off his chair, sliding under the dining room table and crouching with his knees pressed to his chest. _Oh, gods, I didn't know_ they'd _be here. What if they see me? What if_ I _see_ them _? I'm going to_ murder _Cecil when he gets back down here!_

Nico leaned over to peek at Will under the table with a raised brow. "Um, Will, are you alright?"

"Yep," Will said quickly, still trying not to panic. "Fine. Just _fiiiine_."

"Then... why are you hiding under the table?"

He looked up at the Italian, who was still staring at him with curious, slightly amused brown eyes. "Um... hiding? I'm not _hiding_." He nervously slid back up into his chair, but he couldn't help but glance around nervously. The Stolls weren't _that_ bad, but... Will didn't exactly have the _best_ history with them...

So as soon as Cecil was back, Will grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him into the kitchen, away from the crowd. "What are the _Stolls_ doing here?!" he hissed. "You didn't tell me... _he_ would be here!"

Cecil shrugged nonchalantly as if he didn't hear the underlying panic in Will's voice. "I dunno. Like I said, guess the word traveled farther down the grape vine. No biggie."

"No biggie?!" Will was about ready to strangle Cecil when Nico poked his head past the kitchen threshold. "Will? You okay in here?" He ducked all the way into the room and walked over to stand in front of him, crossing his arms and studying Will with a scrutinizing look. "You're acting weird."

Will quickly shook his head. Gods, he couldn't bother Nico with this. It was way too embarrassing, and frankly, something he wished would go curl up in a basement somewhere and die. Something he never wanted talked about or brought up ever again.

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. While Will was still standing there processing Nico's words, Cecil spoke, the beer he'd had totally demolishing any sort of filter he'd had. "Will's ex is here," he whisper-shouted conspiratorially, holding one hand in a cup around his mouth and leaning slightly towards Nico as if that would prevent Will from hearing. "It didn't end well between them and he's scared to face—" Before he could say anything else to further damage his will to live, Will clapped a hand over his mouth with a glare that could wither grass.

But it was too late. Nico turned to him with wide eyes. "Your ex? Who is she?"

Will winced. _Shit_. This is _not_ how he'd wanted to tell Nico he was gay, not _at all_. " _He_ ," he eventually corrected in a low, embarrassed mumble, feeling slightly like he wanted to curl up in a ball and die. (Okay, maybe more than _slightly_.) "His name is Conner..."

Nico seemed almost... relieved? He breathed out a sigh and rested a hand on Will's arm, almost gripping it. "Will, it's cool. We've all had to deal with exes." He gave him a small smile. "Let's just enjoy the party." His smile morphed into one of his usual wide, mischievous grins, and Will felt relieved himself. "Besides, if he tries anything, I promise I'll knock him out for you. Deal?" He held out a hand, still wearing that familiar grin.

Will gave a short laugh, feeling a warmth spreading through his chest as he accepted Nico's handshake. "Deal." As they started walking back towards the dining room, Will grabbed Nico's hand. Not in a hand-holdy way, but rather a quick squeeze. "Thanks." He smiled, a real, genuine smile that he usually reserved for Lou or his dad. "Really."

"Don't worry about it," Nico said, waving a hand. Will caught him smiling as they sat down, and a shiver of electricity traveled down his back. He couldn't seem to keep the grin off his face now. He still hadn't found a way to tell Nico he was in love with him, but every moment he spent with him, every smile they shared, every touch—they all helped him gain just a _bit_ more courage.

* * *

Will found himself forgetting about Conner and Travis' presence as the night progressed, and he played games, danced, ate, and laughed with Nico. It may not have been an official date—not yet—but it was the most fun Will had had in ages. Currently, they were in the kitchen getting drinks (after having worn themselves out dancing), laughing over somebody's terrible, drunk dance moves.

While Will was taking a swig of soda, Cecil came parading into the kitchen followed by several giggling girls. (Will rolled his eyes.) "Hey, Will, just the man I've been looking for!" He threw an arm around his shoulders and leaned heavily against him, giving him a wide, toothy smile.

"Why were you _looking for me_?" Will asked, semi-suspicious now. Nothing good ever happened when Cecil was "looking for him".

Cecil grinned. "Party games, man! Bringin' 'em back. You guys _gotta_ join!"

Will quickly shook his head no. "Cec, come on, you've had enough party for now. Besides, you promised you'd lay down for a while after I played a game with you. Whatever happened to that, huh?"

"Yes, and _technically_ you didn't finish the game," Cecil said, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "You left early and didn't even get to go!" He nodded to emphasize his point as Will scoffed and shook his head again. " _Yes_ , Will, you know I'm right! Now come on or I'll kick you out!" He stumbled out laughing before Will could say anything else, closely followed by the gaggle of giggling girls.

Will turned to Nico with an exhausted look, causing the Italian to burst out in a fit of laughter. He rested a gentle hand on Will's shoulder—he tried to ignore the rapid spiking of his heart-rate—with a smile. "Come on, we might as well do it. Who knows? It could be fun. Right?"

Raising an eyebrow, Will shot the shorter boy a wide, proud grin. "Well, look at the little shy boy coming out of his shell."

Nico rolled his eyes and lightly hit his shoulder. "Shut up. Let's go out there before your friend makes good on his threat."

"After you, my little social butterfly," Will said with a flourish, squealing and bursting into laughter and Nico aimed a punch for him. They ducked into the dining room together, still laughing. It stopped when Will looked ahead and locked eyes with Conner across the table. The warming feeling in his chest a second earlier was replaced by a cold one of dread as he stopped, seeming almost frozen to the spot.

Nico followed his gaze and his eyes locked onto Conner's tall, broad form. Seeming to understand immediately, he reached out and squeezed Will's hand, startling him into looking over at him. The Italian gave him a reassuring smile that immediately filled him with a sense of safety. "It's okay," he said quietly, so just Will could hear. "I'm right here with you." He flashed him a joking smirk and leaned slightly into him. "I've got a mean right hook ready for him."

Will laughed, feeling all his nerves wash away, and nodded. As they went to sit down, he caught Conner staring at their linked hands, his eyes narrowing to slits. Will's brows furrowed in confusion, but he wrote it off and sat down beside Nico, who released his hand to pull his chair closer to the table.

He could still feel Connor's eyes on them, but it bothered him less knowing that Nico was by his side.

* * *

This newest game was a simple one of truth or dare, which Will was grateful for. Truth or dare was much safer than seven minutes in heaven or spin the bottle. He was hoping to not have to go for a while, but unfortunately, Cecil had other ideas. He placed a bottle on the table in front of Will with a devilish grin. "You go first, Will. Spin away."

Will's shoulder slumped and he nodded with a dejected sigh. "Yeah, okay..." Nico shot him an amused grin as he reached forward and gave the bottle a good, hard spin. It flew around the circle several times before landing on a petite ginger-haired girl he didn't know. Sighing inwardly, he asked the cliché question. "Truth or dare?"

The girl bit her lip, giggling nervously. "Um, truth?"

There were a few boos, but the girl ignored them as Will floundered around in his head for a good question. He blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "What is the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you?"

As the girl turned red and starting telling her story, Will relaxed in his chair with a relieved sigh. Nico leaned over to him and whispered, "Nice question, sunshine. You're practically the _Picasso_ of truth or dare."

"Shut up," Will said with a laugh, shoving Nico's shoulder with his own. "Like _you_ could do any better, death boy."

"I _can_ , and I _will_ ," Nico retorted with a playful grin. He raised his voice to say, "I'll go next!" Shooting Will a wide grin, he reached forward and gave the bottle a good spin. It landed on an athletic brunet boy, who rolled his eyes when Nico asked him 'truth or dare'. "Dare. Duh."

Nico flashed an evil smirk, which made Will sweat in nervous anticipation. He knew Nico could be devious, but he felt bad for whatever he would force the poor boy to do. The brunet seemed to share his feelings of unease as he studied Nico nervously. The Italian's eyes sparkled with amusement as he said, "Alright, I dare you to switch clothes with the girl on your left." His grin widened. "And I mean _completely_."

Both the girl and the boy looked mortified, and as they got up and headed to the bathroom to change, Will gave Nico a wide-eyed look. "Wow, you _are_ evil. Geez."

He waved a hand in mock embarrassment. "You flatter me, Solace." He grinned. "But I _did_ say I could do better, didn't I?What do you say? Do you concede?"

Will laughed and rolled his eyes slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I give. You're the unofficial king of truth or dare. Happy?"

"Very," Nico said with a satisfied smirk. Before they could talk more, the girl and boy came back, the girl's clothes tight in all the wrong places on the boy, and his completely dwarfing the small girl. This elicited a roar of laughter from the gathered crowd at and around the table, and Nico and Will joined in as the two sat down, looking incredibly embarrassed.

"My turn!"

The game progressed this way, and luckily Will managed to avoid getting picked—though Nico had already been dared to drink an entire jar of pickle juice. But he knew he would have to go _eventually_ , and his time _did_ come, though not at all the way he'd wanted.

Travis Stoll's spin sent the bottle spinning so fast it was just a blur. Will's eyes tracked it around and around and around until it finally came to a slow, deliberate stop. His eyes traced the bottle's directed path, and he felt a jolt of cold shock in his chest as he realized... it was pointed right at him. He gulped.

"Truth or dare?" Travis asked with a wide grin, his blue eyes full of mischief.

It didn't matter what he said. Either way, it would end up being either bad or embarrassing for him. This was half of a pair proclaimed as the _kings_ of pranking. He was doomed. But which one had a better chance at not making him die of embarrassment? Probably... "Dare," he said hesitantly, his palms already sweating from nervousness.

Travis grinned, and Will's heart dropped into his stomach. "I dare you... to _kiss_ the person directly across from you."

Will paused. That wasn't so bad. His gaze slowly traveled from Travis, who sat to his left, to the person across from him. His breath caught in his throat, nearly causing him to choke, as he met a pair of familiar blue eyes. _No. No no no no nononono._ Will stared at Connor in horror, feeling frozen in his dread. This _couldn't_ be happening. He _wouldn't_.

Before he knew what he was doing, Will said, very loudly, "No!"

Travis stood and pointed at him accusingly. "You have to! It's the rules of the game!"

Will stood as well and shot Travis the fiercest glare he could muster. "I won't!" He pushed away from the table and made to walk past him, towards the door, but Travis grabbed his wrist and spun him around. "Will," he said darkly, his grip tightening against Will's wrist painfully, "sit down."

Before Will could do anything, he was suddenly pushed back, safely away from Travis. He looked up with a shocked look to see Nico gripping the boy by his shirt collar, his chocolate eyes dark and nearly murderous. "Do that again and I'll _fucking_ kill you. Got it?" His voice was a low growl, every syllable dead serious.

A wide-eyed Travis nodded quickly, and Nico released him and took a step away, towards Will. "Come on, Will. Let's go."

"Um, y-yeah," Will stuttered, tripping in his haste to follow him. "Sure."

He cast a glance back to see Connor holding his brother's elbow, who was glaring daggers at them, looking like he wanted to kill them. "That kid's fucking _insane_."

Will turned back around to stare at Nico's back. _Did he really just do that? Threaten to kill Travis... For me...?_

* * *

The car ride back to Nico's house seemed to go by almost too quickly, and by the time they got there, Will had had quite a bit of time to think. As he got out to walk Nico to his door, he clenched his fists and squared his shoulders. He walked Nico to his door and paused on the porch. The boy turned around to look at him, his face cast in shadow by the porch light behind his head.

"I had a nice time," he said with a shy smile, clasping his hands together and leaning against the door. "It was... fun."

Will smiled. "Yeah, it was." He traced the curve of Nico's sharp cheekbone with his eyes before he remembered what he wanted to do. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss against Nico's cheek, barely a touch. He pulled away quickly, hoping the dark somewhat hid his flushed cheeks. "Thanks for, you know... Travis."

Nico was standing there staring up at him with a shocked expression, and Will quickly turned and leaped off the porch, unable to stand there any longer lest he die of embarrassment. "See you!" He practically _sprinted_ to his car, almost dropping the key several times in his fumble to get it in the ignition. Only when he was several blocks from Nico's house did he slow down. He pulled over on the side of the road and ran his hand through his hair, sucking in a ragged breath. _Did I really just do that...?_

He slouched in his seat and rested his head against the cold steering wheel, closing his eyes. _Well, whether I wanted to or not, I guess that confession is coming sooner than expected..._

* * *

 **A/N:** Aw, full Solangelo not yet completed. BUT SOON, MY KIDDIES! This chapter was a bit longer, so I hope that makes up for it XD As always, remember to follow and favorite to show your support, and review with comments, corrections, suggestions, overall thoughts, and opinions, because all feedback is greatly appreciated :)

 **P.S.:** Once again written on my super-touchy laptop, so my apologies for any mistakes! Also, we're almost to 100 follows! Just 15 more and we're there! A huge thank you one again to everyone who has been supporting this story. Ily guys 3


	19. Boiling Over

**A/N:** Before I start this chapter, I just want to thank all of you for your continuous support. It means a lot to know that you guys are enjoying the story because I write for all of you ❤ Enjoy the chapter, everyone c:

Texting guide;

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 **Bold** = Nico

* * *

 **19**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico couldn't get Will out of his head the rest of the night. It kept him from sleeping because every time he closed his eyes, their kiss replayed over and over in his mind. The pressure and warmth of Will's lips against his skin, his scent—honey and lilacs—making him weak in the knees. And even though it _technically_ wasn't a real kiss, Nico couldn't stop thinking about it.

Which of course annoyed him to no end.

It was very obvious to him now that he was (unfortunately) deeply, incredibly, _vastly_ in love with Will Solace. Which presented several problems. 1.) Jason would give Nico his 'I told you so' speech, 2.) So would Reyna, and 3.) All of his friends would probably try to get them together as soon as possible. And, knowing his friends, several things were bound to go severely wrong if that happened.

So what choices did that leave him? Don't tell them. That was an obvious one. But he was almost 100% sure that they would end up finding out somehow, and then they would be on his case about not telling them about it himself. Another option was to confess to Will and swear him to secrecy. That wasn't one he was super excited about, either.

Nico had always been somewhat of a shut-in. He'd only made friends with Jason and Percy because they'd pretty much bothered him 24/7 until he became too tired to ignore them further. And after he'd become friends with them, all of _their_ friends seemed to become his through association.

And now he had Will to deal with. Though he supposed this was mostly his fault, since he'd decided to mess with Will in the first place. If he hadn't been such an asshole, they wouldn't be in this mess. But there was little he could do about that now.

He just had to man up and _do it_. Tell Will that he liked him. That was the only way to resolve this. And who knew; maybe Will liked him back. Sadly, he doubted that, but he figured there was always a chance. So he had to confess. But how could he do that? He wasn't usually a shy person (more antisocial), but around Will, he turned into a blushing, stammering mess. It was rather embarrassing, really.

Gods, this was too much thinking to do in one night. He'd never get to sleep at this rate. Why couldn't life just be simple and not full of all these complexities? The only way Nico could deal with his problems was to face them head-on. He'd learned from previous experience that if he ignored them, they would just become worse. But this problem in particular... He was afraid to face it.

Flipping onto his stomach with a groan, Nico reached for a pillow and covered his head with it, sighing into the mattress beneath. He flashed back to what had happened at the party earlier. That boy, Travis, grabbing Will's wrist. He was angry just thinking about it, even after it had happened. _Do that again and I'll_ fucking _kill you. Got it?_

Groaning, Nico clutched the pillow tighter against the back of his head. Oh, gods, Will probably thought he was _insane_. But, then again, he'd kissed him afterward, so... What did that mean?

Nico grabbed his pillow and screamed into it, kicking his legs against the bed. He had a lot to think about. And hopefully, he'd have everything figured out by morning.

* * *

In the morning, Nico felt, in a word, like a zombie. His eyes were crusted from lack of sleep, his body was strained and sore from dancing at the party, his stomach was grumbling loudly, and when he got up to look in the mirror, heavy dark circles hung under his eyes, like someone had taken a black paintbrush and swept it under them.

He considered going back to bed and sleeping for the rest of the day, but his mind was even more full than it had been the previous night. He had to get himself together enough to go see Will and tell him how he felt. He didn't think he could stand waiting another second.

Though it was embarrassing to admit, he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss Will _so_ badly, it was like a deep ache, a stone weighing down in his chest. He had never kissed someone before, and he wanted, more than anything, for Will to be his first _real_ kiss.

He blushed just thinking about it.

Slapping his cheeks to wake himself up, Nico squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "Okay. I've gotta get ready. I'm gonna go see Will. I can do this. I can _do_ _this_." He kept repeating that phrase to himself over and over as he got showered and dressed, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do.

As he was pulling on a pair of black Converses, his phone buzzed in the pocket of his jeans. Holding his breath, he slid it out and checked the screen. Luckily, it wasn't Will (he didn't think he could handle a text from him right now), but instead from Jason. But that really wasn't any better. If he found out about the kiss...

But no, when he read the message, it had nothing to do with the party.

 **9:34 AM - Hey, Neeks, you up yet? Pipes wants you to come to brunch with us**

He quickly came up with a safe response.

 **9:35 AM - Can't. Got stuff to do today. Sorry :(**

Luckily, Jason didn't ask him what 'stuff' he had to do.

 **9:36 AM - Oh, ok, cool. Text ya later ;)**

Breathing a sigh of relief, Nico stuck his phone back in his pocket, pulled on his last shoe, and hopped on his motorcycle to head to Will's house, his heart in his throat, fluttering like a hummingbird beneath his skin.

* * *

Pulling up in Will's driveway, Nico put his Ducati Monster in neutral and pulled off his black helmet. Now he was starting to feel the nerves. He thought he might puke. But it was too late to go back. Still, he kept repeating his mantra in his head; _I can do this, I can do this, I can do this..._

Kicking down his stand, he turned off the bike and hopped off, placing his helmet on the seat. Before he could chicken out, Nico forced his legs to move, walking the few feet to Will's door and knocking twice, his brain screaming at him that this was a stupid idea, and his legs begging to run away.

Luckily, the door opened before he could act on that instinct. Will leaned against the doorway, wearing a baggy blue Harvard T-shirt and black-and-orange plaid pajama pants, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "Yeah?"

"Um..." Nico was temporarily stunned into speechlessness. Will should've looked terrible, as he was clearly not even half awake, but he looked... _better_ like this. His blond hair was the perfect amount of messy, and his too-big, crumpled clothes made him look, well... _adorable_. "Uh..."

Will blinked, seeming all the way awake now as he stared down at Nico with wide blue eyes. "Oh, Nico." His cheeks were tinged slightly pink, though that may have just been from the morning sun shining down on them. "You should've told me you were coming over." He looked down at his bedraggled pajamas, his blush deepening. "I would've... dressed."

"Uh, no... That's, um— It's fine." Nico closed his mouth and cleared his throat, trying to bring his mind back around to the spot it was supposed to be at. "Uh, can we... Can we talk?"

"Oh, um..." Will looked surprised. "Yeah, sure. Come in." He moved aside to let Nico pass before closing the door and leading him through the living room, towards the stairs. "Dad!" he called along the way. "Nico's here! We're going up to my room!"

There was a mumble something along the lines of, "Maith go leor, spraoi a bheith agat," from the kitchen, where Nico gathered Will's dad was. He raised an eyebrow as they started up the stairs. "Did he just... speak in Irish?"

"Yeah," Will said with a dismissive wave. "Don't worry about it. It's normal. He sometimes slips into other languages when he gets up too early."

"Oh..." Nico mumbled. "Now I see where you get it from..."

Will laughed. "Yeah, I guess he passed it along to me. Here we are." He gestured to an open door, which must've been his room. Nico walked inside, his eyes sweeping the room as he took everything in. The walls were painted a beautiful navy blue, and the ceiling was completely covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. "Whoa..."

Closing the door behind them, Will flopped down on an orange beanbag chair in the corner with a smile. "Yeah, it's pretty, huh? It took me _forever_ to put up all those stars, though." He laughed. "It took Lou, Dad, Cecil, and I almost three whole days to do it."

"I like it," Nico said, looking over at him with a small smile. Just being around Will was already making him feel better. But even so, he was still nervous about what he had to do...

Will flashed him one of his signature huge, genuine smiles. "I'm glad. Wanna sit down?"

"Uh, no, I'm okay..." Nico took a deep breath and clenched his fists. "I have something important to tell you."

With a concerned look, Will stood and took a step towards him, causing Nico to retreat a step backward. "What's wrong, Nico? Are you okay? It's nothing serious, is it?"

"No, no," Nico said quickly, holding his hands up as a barrier between them. If Will touched him, he was afraid he would completely forget everything he wanted to say. "I'm fine. It's just, um, it's about the party, and what happened..."

Will's face fell. "Oh, gods, listen; about the party, I'm so, _so_ sorry for kissing you. I shouldn't have done that without asking your permission first, and I _totally_ understand if you don't want to be friends anymore, or if you want to punch me or something..." He squeezed his eyes shut and held his arms out. "Go right ahead and do it."

"No, I—" Nico shook his head, taking a shaky breath. "You're right... I don't want to be friends anymore."

"You— You don't?" Will opened his eyes, his tone sounding sad and hurt.

Nico almost ran to him to tackle him in a hug right then, but he managed to hold his ground. "No. I... I..." He felt himself blushing. "I don't want to be _just_ friends. I— I— I r-really like you, and I want..." He swallowed, feeling like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. "I w-want to be m-more than friends."

He was almost afraid to see Will's reaction. When he looked up, the blond was staring at him open-mouthed, his blue eyes wide. The stress of the whole situation hit him, and the fight-or-flight response finally kicked in. Nico whirled around and made a break for it, feeling tears in his eyes. _Dammit, I'm so_ stupid _!_

But he didn't make it more than four steps before a hand closed around his wrist, jerking him back around. A small, startled sound of protest came from Nico's throat but died a second later as Will kissed him. He felt his knees weaken and clutched at Will's shoulders for support, the tears drying on his cheeks as he melted into the kiss.

It was true what they said about fireworks. It felt like a whole symphony of them was going off inside Nico's chest, nearly causing his heart to beat right out of his ribcage. Though he knew it was impossible, he felt electricity race up and down his arms, as if touching Will was like sticking a fork in a socket.

 _This is really happening._

Will pulled away far too soon, and Nico stood there in shock, holding a hand to his lips, which still tingled with electricity. "You kissed me."

"Um, yes?" Will looked nervous. "You told me you liked me."

"I— I do." Nico was struggling to talk now. "Do you— Does this mean... you like me too?"

"Yeah," Will said with an embarrassed smile. "I think so."

Nico let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was slightly light-headed. "You— You like me." He thought he might faint. No, scratch that; he would _definitely_ faint.

" _You_ like _me_ ," Will retorted with a smile. Nico let out a breathy laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah I do. I _really_ do."

"Good," Will said with a shy smile. "Because there's something I want to ask you, too."

"What?" Nico asked, staring up at him, finally able to do it now that an enormous weight had been lifted off his chest. He felt free. He felt... he felt... _happy_. Unbearably, incredibly, _ridiculously_ happy. He hadn't felt like this since his mother was still alive. It was almost too much.

Will rested his hands on Nico's shoulders and looked him right in the eyes, smiling a smile that was for him, and only him. "Call me old school, but I'd like to formally ask..." He took a deep breath, blue eyes sparkling, trapping Nico in their intense brilliance. "Nico di Angelo, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Oh, miei dèi," Nico mumbled, feeling his face flush hotter. "Penso che sto ancora sognando..." As soon as the words left his mouth, he finally collapsed, the last thing he saw Will's wide, sky-blue eyes staring down at him in shock.

* * *

 **A/N:** IT HAPPENED! THEY FINALLY GOT TOGETTTTHHHER! XD I hope you guys are happy now lol :p Don't worry, though; the story isn't over yet, not by a long shot. I have a lot more planned for it, maybe 10 or more chapters, so stay tuned, and continue to support the story by following, favoriting, and leaving comments, corrections, and suggestions down in the review section :)

And _yes_ , NICO DRIVES A MOTORCYCLE! XD How cute is that?

 **Translations;**

\- Maith go leor, spraoi a bheith agat. - Okay, have fun.

\- Oh, miei dèi. - Oh, my gods.

\- Penso che sto ancora sognando... - I think I'm still dreaming...


	20. Overheated

**A/N:** We've reached the twentieth chapter! I'm so excited! I have such great plot ideas for this, so I hope you guys stick with the story and continue to enjoy it ^-^ Anyway, without further ado, enjoy the chapter!

Texting guide;

 **Bold and underlined** = Jason

 **Bold** = Nico

* * *

 **20**

 **Nico**

* * *

When he woke up, Nico had a headache that felt like a hammer pounding against his skull. He let out a low groan and held a hand to his head as he blinked his eyes open. He found himself staring up at his familiar black ceiling. Seeing it made his mind flash back to one that was navy blue and covered in stars. _Will_.

He jolted upright in bed, causing his head to spin. He winced and rested a palm against his cheek, but quickly jerked it away again as he felt the burning heat. "My skin is hot..." He raised his hand again to touch his cheek. "Do I have a fever?" His hand fell back to his side as he pushed himself back up against the headboard for support.

"Wasn't I... at Will's house?" Nico's brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to recall what had happened. _I went over to talk to him, and when we were up in his room, I told him... I told him that I..._ His cheeks heated even more, and he covered them with his hands, staring down at the mattress with a mix of awe and embarrassment. "Did that really happen? Was it all a dream?"

He ran his hands through his hair nervously. He kind of didn't _want_ it to be a dream...

"Thank you for coming to check in on him." The sudden sound of voices made Nico snap his head up, listening instinctively. "You're a kind person." That was his father's voice, Nico realized, but who was he talking to?

Someone laughed; a sound Nico recognized instantly. _Will_. "Aw, you don't have to say that, Mr. di Angelo, really. Anyone would do the same. Besides, I..." He paused, as if embarrassed. "I really care about him..."

"I can see that. And still, I am grateful," Hades responded, and Nico imagined him clapping Will on the shoulder with one of his wide, fatherly smiles. "And if Nico were awake, I'm sure he would be, too. Thank you for bringing him home, by the way."

Nico perked his ears up. This was information he wanted to know. "Oh, it was no trouble," Will said humbly. "And besides, I was freaking out so badly my dad was the one that really did all the work." He paused and they both laughed. "Does Nico get sick like this often? I mean, his fever was pretty high."

"Not usually," Hades replied, and Nico felt a pang in his chest hearing the worry in his father's voice. "He has been known to get high fevers whenever he's sick, though... Always scares me half to death."

 _A fever..._ Nico's brows furrowed as he started piecing things together. _I went over to Will's house, and when he asked me to... I guess I fainted..._ He felt his face grow hotter just thinking about what had happened at Will's house. _"Nico di Angelo, will you be my boyfriend?"_ A half-squeal, half-squeak came out of Nico, and he covered his face even though no one was there to see how embarrassed he was. _Will... asked me out..._

He almost fainted again, staring at the wall with a dazed expression. He almost didn't notice when Will entered the room. "Nico! You're awake!" He turned to see Will standing there with a wide, relieved smile. Since Hades wasn't directly behind him, Nico guessed he'd gone downstairs before he entered.

"Will, hey..." He felt woozy again, and held a hand to his head, shaking it to try and orientate himself again. Will was instantly beside him, and his touch as he placed a supporting hand on Nico's arm sent spikes of electricity up his arm, making him gasp. "Are you alright?" Will asked, blue eyes clouded with concern. "Hey, you need to take it easy." He rested a hand against Nico's forehead, his face far too close for comfort. "You still have a fever."

Nico, who was breathing shallowly and trying not to faint from Will's close proximity, barely managed to respond. "I— I do?" He was sure his face was about a million degrees right now. Gods, would Will ever move away? (Not that he _wanted_ him to, but Nico feared he would overheat and pass out again if Will stayed this close.)

"Yes, you dork." Will rolled his eyes, but a fond smile remained on his face. Finally, he pulled his hand back, sitting down on the edge of Nico's bed, allowing him to cool down and breath again. "You really scared me. If I knew you were going to be _that_ surprised by me asking you out, I would've done it a lot sooner." He said it jokingly, but his eyes held a hint of worry.

"I wasn't _that_ surprised!" Nico protested with a huff. "I was just sick, that's all!"

Will laughed. "You're cute when you're in denial."

"Wha—" Nico glared at him with a heavy blush staining his cheeks. "H-hey, just because we're together now doesn't mean you can make fun of me!"

" _Are_ we together?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow with an expression caught between hope and amusement.

"Well duh!" Nico exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation. " _You_ asked me, didn't you?"

Will was smiling again now. "I did, but you sort of fainted before you could give me a response, remember?"

"O-oh..." Nico faltered. "Right... Um, well..." He took a deep breath and met Will's eyes, becoming even more embarrassed. He rung the edge of his shirt between his fingers and it took him a full minute of ragged, nervous breathing and severe internal struggling to build up the courage to finally speak. "Yes."

"Yes?" Will was full on grinning, full of teeth (which were perfect, of course. _Ugh_ ).

Nico squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head to the side, so embarrassed he thought his head would explode. "Yes," he repeated. "Yes, I'll be your... your b-boyfriend." Just saying the words made his head spin and face burn. He still felt like he was dreaming. Was Will—Will Solace, the boy who could make him smile without fail, the boy who he felt an attachment to from the beginning, the boy who had turned from his nothing into his everything— _really_ sitting on his bed? Had he _really_ asked Nico to be with him? It was too good to be true.

And yet, it was too _real_ not to be true.

"So, does this mean..." Nico's eyes snapped up to watch him as he felt Will shift towards him on the bed. He was smiling, that same familiar smile, that still managed to send butterflies scattering in Nico's stomach. "...I can kiss you whenever I want to?" He pressed his forehead flush against Nico's, causing him to let out a small sound of surprise as his face heated up even further (if that was possible).

"But I— I'm sick," he protested weakly, but he could hear the desire in his own voice. He _wanted_ Will to kiss him. He wanted _Will_. He wanted to touch him, to hold him, to be next to him, to hear his laugh, to see him smile that smile was just for him. He was spinning from all the new _wants_ that were racing through his head.

Will's smile widened, and when he spoke, it was a whisper that sent shivers up Nico's spine. "I think I can handle being sick for a little while." And he closed the gap between them before Nico could speak, though he doubted words would've come out if he'd wanted to. _Will_ was all he wanted right then, and that was just fine with him.

* * *

About an hour later, Will dragged Nico down the stairs to eat something. Nico was afraid his father would somehow be able to _sense_ Will on him, and that he would know what had happened between them. But as he sat down—blushing heavily—at the kitchen table, all Hades did was look up from his iPad for a brief second and say, "Oh, Nico, glad you're feeling better. There's some hot soup on the stove for you if you want it."

He let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Yeah, um... G-Grazie, papà."

Will was the one who got up to get him the soup, and as he walked behind him, he brushed a finger along the small of Nico's back through the gap in his chair. He stiffened with a slight squeak—a sound he'd made a lot that day—and turned to glare at the blond as he ducked into the kitchen, grinning mischievously. When he turned back around, his dad was staring at him with a raised eyebrow. Nico's blush deepened, but after a few minutes of saying nothing, Hades rolled his eyes and turned back to his iPad, while Nico resolved to kill Will later.

But—despite the subliminal urge to murder Will still lingering in the back of his mind—Nico found himself feeling almost... _giddy_. He couldn't stop himself from smiling, and every time he tried to stop, it just sprang right back up like a daisy. It was a bit disconcerting, to be honest. He wasn't known as the 'always happy and smiling' kind of person. He was known as the 'sits in the back scowling at everyone' kind of person. But he couldn't seem to hold back his emotions whenever Will was around.

He was still debating whether that was a bad or a good thing when Will returned carrying his soup. He set the steaming bowl down in front of Nico and forced a cool metal spoon into his hand. "Eat." He shot a sharp look at Nico as he sat back down next to him. "And I mean _all_ of it."

"But—" Nico tried to protest, but Will silenced him with a glare. "Eat. All. Of. It."

Nico gulped. "Uh— Y-yeah, okay." He hurriedly started shoveling down the soup, staring into the bowl with a meek look, trying to pretend that he couldn't hear his dad snickering beside him. _Who knew someone so sunshiney could be so scary?_ Though, it wasn't exactly a turn-off...

Nico blushed and started shoveling down his soup faster. _What is happening to my brain?!_

* * *

A few hours later, Will left, after kissing Nico goodbye— _that_ was new, but _dannatamente bene_ —when his dad was in the next room, before dashing out the door with a wink that left Nico standing in the doorway blushing and swooning like a proper southern lady. He immediately took retreat in his room, where he was still, curled up on his bed under a pile of blankets, internally squeeing like a five-year-old girl, a goofy smile on his face.

 _Gods_ , this was embarrassing. He hoped beyond hope that nobody ever saw him like this. He might have to murder them to keep the word from spreading. And if Jason found out before Nico could tell him— Without warning, his phone buzzed, and Nico picked it off the side table and turned it on. _Speak of the devil._

 **1:23 PM - NICO DI ANGELO WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK**

 _Oh no._ Nico felt a lump of dread form in his throat and swallowed forcefully in an attempt to clear it. It didn't work. _That doesn't sound good..._ But instead of pleading guilty immediately, Nico played off the slim— sadly _very_ slim—chance that it was _not_ about Will and replied with a safe question mark.

 **1:24 PM - ?**

 **1:25 PM - NICCCOOOOOO I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO** **MURDERRR** **YOU!**

 **1:26 PM - At least tell me what I did first!**

 **1:26 PM - LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW!**

 **1:27 PM - I don't...? And take a break on the caps, would you?**

 **1:28 PM - NO I WILL NOT AND YES YOU DO! I'M COMING OVER TO YOUR HOUSE RIGHT FUCKING NOW SO I CAN YELL AT YOU DIRECTLY INSTEAD OF USING CAPSLOCK! YOU JUST WAIT, MISTER!**

Nico's eyes widened. Oh no no no, Jason might actually want to murder me. He fumbled to type a response and attempt to disarm the bomb before it exploded in his face. And the only way to do that was—unfortunately—to confess everything.

 **1:29 PM - Wait wait wait, don't come over! I'm sorry I didn't tell you! It literally JUST happened, okay?! DON'T COME OVER AND KILL ME!**

Jason didn't respond, and Nico collapsed back on the bed with a loud groan of despair. "Nooooo... Oh, gods, he's actually going to kill me for not telling him..." He buried his face in his hands, having a small intense freakout session until he realized something.

Springing up, Nico ran out into the hall, sliding dangerously across the wood flooring and using the momentum from hitting the wall to push himself towards the stairs, which he practically fell down, shouting along the way, "Papà, se Jason arriva, non lasciarlo in! Io ripeto; _non_ _farlo entrare_!"

He reached the bottom of the stairs breathlessly and looked up to find Jason standing in the doorway, wearing his harshest I'm-about-to-literally-kill-you glare. Nico squealed and turned around so fast he almost fell again as he kicked and crawled his way back up the stairs, Jason hot on his heels. "THANKS A LOT, DAD!"

"Anytime!" Hades called up the stairs happily, right before Jason caught Nico by the back of his shirt and dragged him into his room. _Oh, gods have mercy on my soul..._ Nico pleaded feebly as the door slammed shut behind them.

* * *

 **A/N:** I went "Awwwwwww!" so many times while writing this, seriously. (There was also lots of squeeing.) So I hope you guys like it. They're officially _official_ now, haha ;) As a sort of new thing, I'd like to ask you guys to post down in the review section what your favorite part/line from the chapter was. (Mine was Will touching Nico's back while getting him soup XD) And as always, if you enjoyed the content and want more, follow and favorite the story, and leave suggestions, comments, and corrections down in the review section.

Translations;

\- G-Grazie, papà. - T-Thanks, Dad.

\- _dannatamente bene_ - _damn good_ (XD)

\- Papà, se Jason arriva, non lasciarlo in! Io ripeto; _non_ _farlo entrare_! - Dad, if Jason comes, do not let him in! I repeat; _do not let him in_!


	21. Home Slice

**A/N:** WE HIT 100 FOLLOWS! :D Thank you all so much for continuing to read and support the story. It really does mean a lot to me to know that I can provide you guys with a way to laugh, cry, or escape from whatever kind of day you've had. I just want you all to know that I write for you guys, so thanks for being awesome :3

Okay, so now that I'm done gushing, chapter 21 is here! Nico and Will are now officially together, but their story isn't over just yet ;) Anyway, without further ado, let's get started :) Enjoy the chapter!

Texting guide;

 **Bold** = Nico

 _Italics_ = Will

* * *

 **21**

 **Will**

* * *

When Will got home, the first thing he saw when he opened the door was Lou standing in the center of his living room, arms crossed and glaring at him. He jumped when he saw her, nearly falling right back outside. Luckily, he managed to catch himself and breathed a sigh of relief.

Very carefully, he stepped inside and closed the door, all the while looking at Lou as if she were a snake poised to bite. "Um... Lou..." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Why are you... standing in my living room?"

Lou stalked up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "William James Solace, you know very well why! I can't believe you didn't TELL ME!" She glowered at him with so much malice Will actually took a step back, holding up his hands as a shield between them. "Whoa, Lou, calm down! I'm sorry, okay?"

"Sorry doesn't cut it, mister!" she huffed, her glare folding into a pout. "Will, I'm your best friend. You know you can tell me _anything_! So why did you keep this from me?"

"Um..." Will felt his palms begin to sweat. How did Lou find out about him and Nico? They'd only just gotten together, literally a few hours ago. And while a few hours was plenty of time for news to spread, he didn't see how anyone could've known, unless Nico told someone, and, well... he'd been a bit _busy_ to tell anyone anything. And Will certainly hadn't. So there was no way she could've known. "Well..."

Lou grabbed him by the shoulders, and Will could see a fire burning behind her green eyes. "I swear to the gods I'm going to kill that little fucktard Travis. How could he do something like that?! I mean, I knew he was a douche bag, but this is _way_ over the line!" She released him and held a fist in the air. "I'm gonna Falcon Punch that little shitface into next week!"

"Uh..." Will was taken aback by her aggressiveness, and equal parts relieved and confused at what she was saying. "Wait... So this _isn't_ about Nico?" He eyed her warily. "At all?"

"Well, I suppose it involves him." She punched the air with a grin. "He was there to defend your honor in my stead! I'll have to hug that punk ass little shit for protecting you." She turned towards him again, wearing a more serious expression. "But seriously, I'm still mad at you. You should've told me what he did _right_ after you left." She glared at him again. "But did you? _No_! I haven't gotten a text from you in _three days_!"

"Uh, yeah..." Will winced. "Sorry about that." He cleared his throat. "But, um, there's actually a reason for that..." He had to tell her what had happened with Nico. Hopefully, that would activate her fangirl mode, and distract from the I-shall-burn-the-world-to-the-ground mood she was in.

Of course, he was _crazy_ nervous to tell her. Rationally he knew she would be insanely happy for him, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if he _could_ tell anyone. Did Nico want to keep it a secret? At least, for a little while? Did he not want Will to tell anyone yet? They hadn't exactly done much talking about what their relationship standards were when he was over...

Lou was watching him through slitted eyes as if she were trying to look into his very soul. Will shifted uncomfortably. "And what would that be, William?" She crossed her arms with a placid expression. "This had better be good. If not, I might have to Falcon Punch you, too."

"Um, well..." He laughed nervously. "Nico— That is, Nico and I— We, well, we sort of..." He was struggling to form the words. He was still sort of giddy from the whole experience, and admitting that they were actually _together_... Will though he might break down and cry out of pure joy.

But luckily, he didn't have to say it. Lou's eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open in a large O. "WILLIAM SOLACE, DON'T TELL ME THAT YOU SEALED THE DEAL WITH ANGEL BOY?!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him hard several times. "OH MY GODS, OH MY GODS, OHMYGODSSSS!" She broke into a fit of squealing and started dancing around the living room like she had to use the bathroom. "AAAAAHHHHHHH YEESSSSSS FINALLY!"

"Uh..." As Will stood there watching her with a shocked expression, Lou pulled her phone from her pocket, dialed a number, and held it to her ear. "Cecil, it happened! You owe me five bucks!"

"You bet on this?!" Will asked, snapping out of his daze to glare at her accusingly. Lou hung up the phone with an innocent grin. "Uh, yes? Is that wrong?"

"Yes!"

She shrugged sheepishly. "Oh. Well hey; I'm now five dollars richer, babe, so I'd say that's a win for both of us."

Will face-palmed, blushing tomato red. "I can't believe you..."

"I know, but you still love me," Lou said with a wink. "Now come on. I'm taking you out; my treat."

Will groaned. "Fine. But not today, okay? I'm dead tired."

Lou rolled her eyes. "Alright, _finnnneeee_. But first thing tomorrow I'm coming to pick you up." She smirked mischievously and elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "And you can tell me _alllll_ the juicy details."

* * *

"There really are no 'juicy details'," Will mumbled, taking a sip of the soda in front of him. Lou had dragged him to their favorite pizza place, Home Slice, for their usual—double-cheese with pepperoni and sausage—and was now grilling him for information like a CIA torture agent, as promised the day before.

Lou raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, taking a bite out of her third pizza slice. "Somehow I don't believe you."

Will sighed in embarrassment. "Really, I swear. All we did was... kiss... a little." He flushed red and quickly busied himself dousing his pizza with parmesan. Lou, meanwhile, squealed like a pterodactyl. "See! _That_ is what I call juicy, my friend!"

"Well, look who it is!" someone yelled before Will could respond. He jumped and turned to see one of Nico's friends standing in front of him, hands on hips, wearing a large grin. If he remembered correctly his name was... Percy?

Rather than seeming surprised, like Will, Lou looked annoyed. "Oh, if it isn't Haruka Nanase. What brings _you_ here?"

Percy folded his arms and glared at her. "Okay, first of all, while I _am_ flattered to be compared to Haru, don't call me that. Secondly, I happened to be here by chance." He jabbed a finger over his shoulder. "Jason's at a table back there, and he told me something rather _interesting_ earlier..." He walked closer and slung an arm around Will's shoulder, nearly knocking him over. "Will, I heard about you and Nico."

"Um..." Will struggled under Percy's weight.

"You better not do anything you'll regret," Percy warned, his green eyes narrowing into slits. "Got that kid?"

"Wha—" Will stared at him wide-eyed, not expecting him to say something like that, and with such a threatening aura. "Uh, I w-won't..."

"Oh, _step off_ , dolphin boy," Lou scoffed, standing and dragging Percy away by the hood of his blue sweatshirt, ignoring his protests. She gave him a shove back in the direction he'd come from. "Go back to blondie, would ya? Your face is putting me off my pizza."

Percy gasped and held a hand to his chest in mock hurt. " _Rude_. But fine, I'll go." He turned, but cast a look back at Will and did the cliche _I'm-watching-you_ gesture with narrowed eyes. Will gulped, letting out a breath when Percy was gone. "Okay, well, _that_ was weird..."

Lou rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure weird is that boy's middle name."

Will laughed. "Yeah." Suddenly, his phone dinged in his pocket, making him jump. "One sec." He pulled it out of his pocket to see a text from Nico. He felt himself smile as he read over it.

 **11:24 AM - Ciao raggio di sole~ What are you doing today?**

 _11:25 AM - I'm out eating pizza with Lou. And, funny story; I ran into Percy, and well... he sorta threatened me_

 **11:26 AM - Ugh, did he really? Sorry. Gods, I can't handle that idiot sometimes. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come over? My fever's dropped so my dad gave me permission to get up and about again**

 _11:27 AM - That's great! But you still have to drink a lot of water, okay? It's important to stay hydrated after getting sick_

 **11:27 AM - Yeah yeah, Dr. Solace. So can you come or not? I'm thinking... trashy Naruto marathon?**

 _11:28 AM - Ha, sure. But not until like oneish. Gotta finish my pizza w/ Lou_

 **11:29 AM - Perfetto. See you then, ill mio raggio di sole ;)**

Will put his phone down with a smile, and looked up to find Lou staring at him with a raised eyebrow and an amused look. "What?" he asked defensively. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He raised a hand and brushed it across his cheeks. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Yep, you sure do," she said with a teasing grin. "A _huuuuuge_ smile." She waggled her eyebrows. "I'll bet my life's savings that was angel boy himself. Is he sexting you?"

Will—who was in the middle of taking a sip of soda—nearly spit it out all over her, forcing himself to swallow and nearly choking. He coughed and pounded on his chest, face as red as a tomato. "Lou, what the _fuck_! _Why_ would you say something like that?!"

His best friend laughed maniacally, pounding the table with a fist. "Gods, I was just kidding! Ha, your reaction was _priceless_!" She wiped tears of mirth from her eyes and shook her head. "Ah, that was a good one. Anyway, what did he _actually_ say?"

"He— He wants me to come over later," Will said, trying to get a handle on his blush. "He was sick, but he said he's feeling better now, so he wants me to come over and watch Netflix."

"Ooh, a little Netflix and chill?" she asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively. Will pointed an accusatory finger at her, flushing again. "Hey, you stop that!" As she laughed, he sighed in exasperation and shook his head. "No, not like that. I'm pretty sure we're just watching Naruto."

"What?" She snorted. "Naruto? _Really_? Not that I have anything against it, but there are, like, thirty seasons. And plus, it gets kinda stupid after a while. Like watching Bleach. Too mainstream." She held a hand out and made a wave motion. "I like to keep it classy and sassy. Like Toradora or Lucky Star."

Will snorted. " _Fine_ examples for 'classy and sassy' there, Lou. And to give him credit, he _did_ call it a 'trashy' marathon, so you gotta give him some props. Maybe Naruto is his guilty pleasure, like you and Free."

"Free is _not_ a guilty pleasure," Lou protested. "It's a _regular_ pleasure, thank you very much. My _guilty_ pleasure is probably Love Stage or Haikyuu." She clasped her hands together with a happy sigh. "Hinata is such a little cutie pie and Kagehina... OTP forever."

Will rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay, fangirl." He took another slice of pizza and started eating. "I'm gonna go to Nico's after this slice, and you better not stalk me and watch through the window. I don't want to have to pull the drapes on you."

"Oh, please," She said, waving a hand dismissively. "Give me some credit, bae. If I followed you, you wouldn't even know I was there." She made the Naruto tiger jutsu sign with her hands. "I'm like a ninja."

"Yes," Will said sincerely, giving her an exaggerated bow. "Please, teach me your ways, Lou-sensei." They both burst out laughing and continued eating pizza, and Will turned to stare out the window, smiling to himself. _Could life possibly get any better than this?_

* * *

 **A/N:** Wooo, I _loved_ this chapter. Some of the lines were hilarious XD I hope you guys liked the Will/Lou interactions, as well as Lou and Percy. Those two are now my official BrOTP XD Anyway, as always, thank you all for your support, and remember to follow and favorite the story if you enjoyed it, and leave comments, suggestions, and corrections down in the review section :)

* * *

 **Translations;**

 **-** Ciao raggio di sole~ - Hi, sunshine~

 **-** Perfetto. - Perfect.

 **-** Ill mio raggio di sole. - My ray of sunshine.


	22. Something New

**A/N:** Here's chapter 22! Sorry I didn't update for a while, guys. Unfortunately, I got a really bad case of the flu and was bedridden for a week. Blergh D: But the important thing is I'm back now, and ready for action! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and remember to let me know what you think down in the review section ;)

No texting this time. Sorry. But it's a bit of a long chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it c:

* * *

 **22**

 **Will**

* * *

Nico and Will did justice to their crappy Naruto marathon. It was nearing eight o'clock, and they'd already watched almost the entire first season. Of course, it wasn't strictly _watching_ : They made fun of the situations, dialogue, and characters, too, of course. Nico seemed to be having a lot of fun, and Will was glad about that.

The few weeks he'd known Nico, the boy had seemed introverted and preferred to keep his emotions to himself, which, of course, was the exact opposite of Will's personality. But gradually he was starting to see that Nico was changing; smiling and laughing more, being more open around him, goofing off, and showing all of his different sides, which Will found both adorable and endearing.

And he also found himself relaxing around Nico. Usually, he was the type of person to put on a smile no matter what was going on as if it were a shield to protect him from any unwanted emotions. But could feel himself slowly beginning to let that shield down when he was around Nico, almost as if the very _sight_ of him was a comfort in and of itself. Which maybe it was.

Nevertheless, it was all so weird, but almost _perfect_ , in a way. Lou and Cecil were the only people Will had ever really gotten close to outside of home, and even then, it had taken years for them to fully solidify their friendships. But with Nico... everything was different. It was almost like the very moment he saw him, Nico had pulled Will to him like a magnet, throwing his world into complete chaos.

But from that chaos came possibly the best thing that had ever happened to him. Nico was changing everything, and if Will could hang on to him long enough, maybe, just _maybe_ , he would be able to change, too.

* * *

Around nine, Nico's dad offered to buy them pizza. The boys jumped on the offer instantly, the very idea of food nearly driving them crazy. Will had texted his dad around four and had permission to stay at Nico's for as long as he wanted, which was all the better. Though he wished his father wasn't around—his sister was staying over at a friend's house—so they could have some alone time... _And_ immediately afterward felt guilty for thinking that.

But he couldn't help himself. New relationships were always intense, and this one was all the more intense considering it was Nico. If it had been someone else, Will probably could've controlled himself much easier, but it wasn't someone else, and he found himself having a very difficult time, which was pissing him off, to be frank.

It wasn't particularly _lustful_... No, much more innocent than that. He just wanted to _touch_ Nico, hug him, hold him close. Which was a new feeling in and of itself. Just thinking about this all with Nico sitting next to him and his father in the other room made Will blush. But he did know one thing: He wanted to hug Nico. _Immediately_. And if Hades didn't leave soon so he could, he might explode in a fiery ball of _death_.

 _Uggggh!_ He nearly sprung up and threw something, but managed to restrain himself. Though he probably looked like he was having a brain aneurysm while doing so... _Leave leave leave leaveleaveleavvvvvveeeeee!_ He kept repeating it to himself until Nico tapped him on the shoulder, scaring him so badly he squealed and jumped, nearly falling off the couch.

Nico raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Um, are you okay? You're acting kinda weird."

Will straightened with a nervous laugh. "Uh, w-what? _Me_ , acting weird? No, I don't think so."

Before Nico could respond, his father ducked out of the kitchen, holding an iPhone in his left hand, fitted with a black silicone case featuring a cartoon skeleton wearing a top hat and holding a cane, which was defintely an... _interesting_ choice. (Then again, if he thought about it, it was most _definitely_ Nico's doing, so he couldn't help but laugh a little.) "Hey, boys!" he said, sounding slightly breathless. "I'm going to pick up the pizza. Is it okay if I leave you two alone for about thirty minutes?"

"YES!" Will shouted at top volume, vaulting to his feet and nearly knocking over the coffee table. He paused a second later with an embarrassed blush as both Hades and Nico stared at him with questioning looks. "Uh..." He laughed nervously. "I mean, sure thing, Mr. di Angelo."

"Um... alright then?" Hades turned to Nico for the final word. He rolled his eyes and sighed, waving his arms in a gesture of dismissal. "We'll be fine, Dad. Go ahead."

"Okay." Hades glanced at Will once more before shrugging and heading past them to put on his shoes and grab his keys from their hook by the door. "Be back around nine." With those parting words, he ducked out the door, leaving them alone in the empty house.

The second the door closed, Will turned with a yell and launched himself at Nico, nearly knocking them both off the couch as he latched his arms around him and squeezed. "W-Will?!" Nico squirmed underneath him. "Will, what're you doing?" He struggled to free his pinned arms. "Will, get off," he whined, tapping on his back.

"No," Will responded stubbornly, tightening his hold on Nico's midsection. "I really need to hug you right now so shut up and let me snuggle you, you adorable bastard."

Nico huffed, but stopped his struggling and relaxed against the couch. Will rolled onto his side, scooping Nico with him and trapping him against the back of the couch, resting one leg over Nico's to secure his hold. "Will..." Nico muttered, not meeting his eyes, his cheeks flushing a lovely shade of red. "This is embarrassing..."

Will scooted closer to him, and Nico grabbed a fistful of his shirt as the couch dipped underneath their combined weight. He paused, face still flaming, while Will watched him with an endearing smile. Nico was _way_ too cute for an emo otaku whose personality was made up of 80% scowling and 20% sarcastic comments. But Will loved him just the way his way. If he was any different, he wouldn't be Nico.

"Y-you're really warm," Nico murmured after a while, sighing and relaxing once again, his eyes fluttering closed. Will started as he felt Nico's arms wrap around him a moment later, the touch so light he almost didn't notice it at first. He felt himself smile and leaned down to rest his chin on the top of his black curls. "You know, you're the _perfect_ size for cuddling," he whispered with a smile.

Nico didn't respond, and Will pulled back slightly to see that his breathing had evened out, his mouth slightly open as he let out quiet breaths: He was asleep. Will smiled and nestled close to him again, focusing on the sound of his breath. _Sleep well, Nico. I'll watch over you for now._

* * *

By the time Hades got back, Will had gotten up and covered Nico with a blanket, having taken to sitting in the armchair, watching him sleep. He was so cute when he slept, his face losing any sign of strain and adopting a look of complete innocence. Just another thing that made Will fall even deeper in love with him.

He looked up when Hades walked in the door toting two pizza boxes, and held a finger to his lips in the universal gesture for silence, quietly gesturing at Nico's sleeping form. Hades shook his head with a fond smile and kicked off his shoes, being careful not to make any noise as he padded into the kitchen. Will got up and followed him, able to relax once he reached the kitchen.

"He fell asleep a little while ago," Will explained, carefully avoiding any mention of cuddling. "Do you think I should wake him up for dinner?"

"No... Let him sleep for a few more minutes," Hades said, casting a glance back out at the couch, where Nico still safely slumbered. "He never gets enough sleep." He sighed as he went over to the counter and grabbed some plates from the cabinet. "But, of course, I can't get him to change his habits. He never listens to me."

Will laughed, feeling more relaxed. He was still rather intimidated by Nico's father, but the guy seemed really nice. His worry for his son was touching. "Yeah, I don't think he listens to _anyone_. I keep telling him he needs to eat more, but he always just scowls and tells me to shut up."

Hades let out a laugh. "Exactly! That boy is such a troublemaker. But I suppose that's _my_ fault. Gods only know he probably got it from me." He started setting out the plates and opened up the pizza before turning to the fridge to grab some bottles of soda. He paused as he set them on the table and looked Will in the eye. "Say, Will... You're close to Nico." It wasn't a question. "Would you mind... Would you mind looking after him for me?"

"Uh..." Will blinked in surprise, stunned into silence by his words. He hadn't expected _this_.

"It's just... I can't be with him every second of every day." He laughed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Even though I wish I could." He adopted a more sober look but still kept a smile on his face as he rested a hand on Will's shoulder. "So I'm leaving it up to you, kid. Those times when I can't be there... It's up to _you_ to watch out for him."

"O-of course! You can count on me, sir!" Will responded quickly, turning as Hades moved past him to head back into the living room. He knelt over the couch and gently shook Nico, while Will turned around with a blush. _It's up to you to watch out for him._ He felt himself smile and tried to shake it off as he began pouring soda into a cup.

 _I will. Without a doubt, I will._

 _I promise._

* * *

After they'd eaten, Nico sprawled out on the couch, groaning. "I don't think I'll ever eat _again_..."

Will collapsed next to him with a moan. "Ugh... Too much fooooddd..."

"You two are pathetic," Hades called as he passed them to throw away the pizza boxes. "Men are supposed to have _iron_ stomachs!"

"Nooo," Nico protested weakly. "I'm pretty sure my stomach is made of wet paper."

"Stomach?" Will mumbled, falling onto his side on the couch and hugging his stomach. "What stomach? I don't think I _have_ one anymore."

"You two are such _drama queens_ ," Hades scoffed with an eye roll, pausing in front of them with his hands on his hips. "Come on, it will feel better in no time, so pick yourselves up and at least _pretend_ that you have a single strong bone in your body." He reached forward to pick up Nico, who had mirrored Will and collapsed on top of him. "Come on, son, you can do it!"

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Nico grumbled, allowing his father to pull him back into a sitting position. Will dragged himself up a second later, using the armrest for support. Hades pulled back with a smile. "See, there you go! Now, it's getting late." He turned his attention to Will. "Are you planning on staying over, Will? You can always sleep in Nico's room if you want."

The words took a moment to reach Will's brain, and when they did, his face flushed as he fully registered their meaning. "W-what?" His brain was overheating. The words 'sleep' and 'Nico' in the same sentence was making him woozy. He felt like he might faint. Sure, they'd _technically_ slept together once before, but that was different. It was on a couch, and completely accidental, and they _weren't a couple_ at the time...

He gulped. "U-um..."

Nico nudged him with his elbow and offered a small smile. "You can if you want. It would be dangerous for you to drive home so late at night, right?"

"R-right!" Will took a deep breath, trying to collect himself a bit. "Um, yeah, sure, that's fine. Let me just text my dad real quick." He pulled out his phone, trying to breathe normally as he typed out a quick sentence and hit send. A second later, his dad responded with a simple thumbs up, giving him permission. He turned back around and nodded. "My dad said that it's fine."

"Alright then!" Hades clapped his hands together with a smile. "You two get to bed, then. It's already almost ten."

"Okay," Nico agreed, turning without another word and heading towards the stairs. Will hurried after him, his head still spinning. _Calm down,_ he scolded himself. _It's not like anything will happen. You're a_ responsible _young adult. Why are you worrying so much? Just take a deep breath. Everything will be fine. At least... I_ hope _._

* * *

"Sorry I don't have any pajamas you can wear," Nico apologized as his exited his bathroom, decked out in black pajama pants patterned with skulls and a loose black tank top that made him (in Will's opinion) look about 1000 times cuter. "I don't think my clothes would fit you." He looked Will up and down and frowned. "You're a lot... taller."

Will shook his head quickly. "That's fine. I can sleep in this."

"Okay," Nico said simply, pulling back the edge of his blankets and crawling in. Will was a bit surprised that he wasn't as nervous as him. He got embarrassed from just cuddling, but sharing a bed was fine? What kind of logic was _that_?

But whatever. Will could admit he was being kind of stupid. Forcing himself to loosen up, and carefully crawled in beside Nico, who scooted closer to him to accommodate for the amount of blanket he was taking up. "If you have any weird sleeping habits, you better tell me now," Nico warned, flashing him a teasing smile that instantly made Will relax.

"Nope, but I noticed that _you're_ a bit of a sleep cuddler." He winked, and Nico rolled his eyes.

"I'll just cuddle you now, then," he muttered, startling Will as he wrapped his arms around him. However, he quickly relaxed, feeling a spark of warm happiness in his heart as he hugged the smaller boy close to his chest, breathing in his familiar scent, which calmed him even further.

"Okay..." he murmured back, already feeling sleepy. "Goodnight, Nico."

"Dormi bene," Nico said sleepily against his chest, barely awake. "Ti Adoro... mio raggio di sole..." As soon as the words left his lips, he was asleep, his breaths softly brushing against Will's neck. Will himself closed his eyes, trying to keep Nico's words in his mind to look up later, though the phrase seemed somehow familiar. _Ti adoro..._

He let out a breath. _I'll remember later, but for now..._ He yawned, and relaxed against the pillow, sleep consuming him before he could finish the thought.

* * *

 **A/N:** Aw, pure fluff :3 I hope you guys liked it. I thought we needed some new relationship adorablness, so this chapter happened purely for that purpose. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it, and as always, remember to follow and favorite if you liked the story, and leave comments, corrections, and suggestions down in the review section! :)

 **Translations;**

 **-** Dormi bene. = Sleep well.

 **-** mio raggio di sole... = my sunshine... (I think that's even cuter than 'my ray of sunshine' :3)

(I decided to keep 'Ti Adoro' a secret for now, but I bet most of you can guess what it means c;)

Anyway, until next time, miei amici! Ciao~ ;)


	23. Wind And Sunlight

**A/N:** Hey, guys! I'm back with chapter 23 :3 I was so grateful for all the positive feedback on the last chapter, so thank you guys :) Anyway, enjoy the chapter everyone ^-^

* * *

 **23**

 **Nico**

* * *

Nico woke with something warm pressed against his back, and he paused in his dreary, half-awake state to contemplate what it was. He eventually decided that whatever it was, he didn't care, because it felt amazing, and he didn't need to know. He yawned and relaxed against the pillow, still not ready to fully wake up, just wanting to bask in the warmth for a while before he committed to getting up.

But now that his brain was conscious, he noticed all the sounds and minuscule things around him, preventing him from getting back to sleep. But he persisted anyways. After two minutes, he shuffled farther down on the pillow. After four, he had a terrible itch on his side that he had to scratch. After six, he could hear the humming of the AC as it kicked on, and he finally groaned and opened his eyes, giving up on his pursuit of sleep.

He tried to get up, but with a slight yell of surprise, he crashed back down on the mattress, something restricting him from moving very far. Surprised, he looked down to find a set of tan arms wrapped around his chest and blinked a few times, confused. "Che diavolo..."

Peering over his shoulder, he let out a breath when he caught sight of a soundly sleeping Will, which explained the arms strangling him from behind. _That's right... Will slept over last night._ Nico breathed out a light sigh. "Geez..." Studying their position, he tried to figure out a way to extract himself from Will's arms without waking him.

"Who's the sleep-cuddler now?" he muttered as he grabbed a hold of Will's arm and tried to ease it off him. Unfortunately, Will did not like that, and he let out a noise of protest in his sleep, his grip tightening until Nico could barely breathe. "Ah—" He clawed the mattress, struggling to get loose. "Will..."

He finally managed to wiggle his way out, and tumbled head-over-heels across the mattress, landing head-first on the floor with a painful _thwack_. "Owwww..." He clutched his head and kicked the floor several times in a weak attempt to lessen the pain. These struggles are what finally woke Will, who yawned and pushed himself to a sitting position, giving Nico a tired, confused look. "Nico? Why are you on the floor?"

"No reason," Nico muttered in annoyance, using the edge of the bed to pick himself up off the ground, still rubbing his head irritably. "Geez, I had no clue you were such a heavy sleeper."

"Huh?" Will blinked, looking even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

Nico rolled his eyes but found himself smiling in affectionate amusement. "Nothing."

Will still looked lost, but shrugged and swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing and letting out a yawn as he stretched every which way. "Wow, that was the best sleep I've ever had." He twisted around to smile at Nico. "What about you? How did you sleep?"

Nico paused to think about this for a moment, brows furrowed. "Huh. I think I actually... slept better than ever." He flushed slightly recalling Will's warmth against his back when he'd woken up and shivered, already missing it. He could _definitely_ get used to waking up like that...

"I'm glad," Will said to his previous comment, giving Nico a wide, genuine smile that made his cheeks turn a brighter shade of red. He walked around to rest his hands on Nico's shoulders and bent down to look him straight in the eyes, causing Nico to fidget in embarrassment. "W-Will, what are you doing?" He squirmed uncomfortably. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I just really want to kiss you." His voice was completely earnest and sincere, and his blue eyes held not the barest trace of irony. "Can I?"

Nico flushed and hid his face in his shoulder. "Idiot... How can you say something like that so bluntly?" Will said nothing, still staring at him with an innocent gaze, waiting. Nico puffed out his cheeks, which were undoubtedly redder than before. "W-well, obviously you can." He looked up, but couldn't meet Will's eyes without blushing even further, which might not have even been possible at that point.

"I just had to be sure," Will said with a small smile. Before Nico could respond, he kissed him, and he lost the ability to speak, even if he'd wanted to. The first kiss was supposed to be the best, but this one seemed even better, as if a whole parade were going on inside his chest, fireworks included. His fists tangled in the fabric of Will's shirt as he felt his ankles go weak.

He had to pull away when things started to get a bit heated because he felt like he might faint any second. Holding a finger to his lips with a slight blush, he mumbled out an apology. "Sorry. I just, um... I don't want to pass out before breakfast."

Will laughed. "Aw, that's fine, Nico. It's kinda cute that you're so easily flustered."

Nico felt himself blush harder, giving an annoyed scoff. "Shut up..." But he found himself smiling anyway. That was all he could seem to do lately.

* * *

"Wait a second; this is seriously _yours_?" Will was circling Nico's Ducati Monster with a disbelieving expression.

Nico nodded, looking at his bike with a proud smile. "Yep. It used to be my dad's, but he gave it to me for my last birthday. Pretty awesome, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll say." Will ran a hand along the leather seat with a whistle, eyeing with appreciation the perfect blue paint job. "It's _amazing_." He looked up at Nico with an amused smile. "But no matter how hard I try, I just _can't_ picture _you_ riding a motorcycle."

"Oh yeah?" Nico raised an eyebrow with a challenging grin. "Want me to prove it to you?"

Will flashed him a mischievous smirk in return. "Of course."

"Challenge accepted." Nico grabbed his black helmet, which was resting on the seat, and handed it to Will. "Put this on." He climbed on and adjusted his position, looking back at Will over his shoulder, who had yet to put on the helmet he'd been given. "Well? Come on."

"Shouldn't _you_ be wearing a helmet, too?" Will asked incredulously, but put it on anyway. Nico rolled his eyes. "Your concern is _touching_ , really, but I'll be fine. _You_ have never been on a motorcycle before, whereas _I_ have been riding one for about seven months. I _think_ it's safe to say I'll be alright without it just this once."

Will rolled his eyes as he climbed on behind Nico. "Okay, point taken. Just... don't go too fast, okay?"

Nico smiled, trying to ignore the flush creeping up his neck from Will's close proximity and instead focusing on the building adrenaline in his chest that always came with riding the Ducati. "I can't promise anything, sunshine. Better hold on tight."

"How tight exa— AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Will screeched like a cat who had just been dropped in water as Nico kicked the motorcycle into gear and went speeding down the driveway and out onto the street, his arms tightening around Nico's chest, nearly cutting off his air supply. But he didn't care. He let out a whoop of joy as he went speeding down the road and towards downtown.

He could hear Will breathing heavily behind him, obviously afraid, but Nico could hear him laughing, so he wasn't worried. He was right not to be, because a second later, Will leaned forward to shout, "This it _amazing_!" There was a laugh hidden in his voice, and Nico felt a warmth in his chest, which brought a wide grin to his face.

The sun shining, the wind in his face, the warmth of Will pressed against his back, and his arms wrapped around his waist; in that singular moment, life felt perfect. Of course, the moment had to be ruined by an incessant and annoying buzzing come from Nico's left jeans pocket. Cursing, he lessened the pressure on the gas, slowing to a cruise as he pulled the phone from his pocket and answered it. Of course, he couldn't talk, so he handed it to Will.

"Um..." The blond held it to his ear with a shrug. He cleared his throat and said in his best telemarketer voice, "Nico is unable to come to the phone at the moment, how may I help you?"

Nico couldn't help but snicker at that, before turning his attention back to the road. He could hear a muffled voice say something on the other end that caused Will to laugh nervously. "Um, hey, relax. Nico's fine. He's manning a motorcycle at the moment, so I was given the phone."

There was another murmured reply. "Well... I mean, give me a second. He held the phone away from his ear and leaned forward in order to be heard over the wind and other cars around them. "Hey, it's your friend Jason! He wants to know if we want to meet him and somebody called Piper for lunch?"

"Uh, well, sure..." Nico shrugged. He hadn't been expecting this. "Ask him where to meet them."

Will spoke the question into the phone, and listened to the answer before turning back to Nico. "He says Olive Garden." Nico wrinkled his nose and quickly shook his head. "He's joking. He knows I hate that place. Ask again, and tell him no bullshitting this time or I'll kick his ass."

"Um... Nico says tell us the real place or he'll kick your ass," Will said into the phone, the resulting laughter loud enough for him to hear clearly. Will listened for a moment before saying goodbye. "He said, and I quote: 'Tell that emo little fuck that he needs to get over his fear of Olive Garden before you meet us at Applebee's."

Nico laughed and shook his head. Jason really was an annoying bastard, but he still loved him to death. "Tell him to fuck off. Olive Garden is trash."

"What's your beef with Olive Garden?" Will asked with a raised brow. "I'm genuinely curious now."

"It's a _long_ story," Nico said with a shudder. "A long, _horrible_ story, which if I told you, I'd have to kill you."

Will laughed, resting his chin on Nico's shoulder. "I'll bet. But who knows? Maybe you'll tell me someday."

Nico smiled into the wind, the sun warm against his skin, Will's heart beating against his back, and headed to meet Jason and Piper. "Yeah. Maybe someday."

* * *

When they arrived, Nico smoothly pulled into a spot near the entrance, and he and Will hopped off the bike, Will placing Nico's helmet on the seat. He was grinning, and his blue eyes were shining, showing how excited he was. Nico grinned at him and raised a brow. "Well? _Now_ can you picture me riding a motorcycle, sunshine?"

"Maybe," Will answered with a smile of his own. He laughed and ruffled Nico's hair, causing him to blush and quickly duck away with a whine. "W-what was that for?" he murmured, fidgeting in embarrassment.

"Your hair is all messed up from the wind now," Will explained with a little laugh.

Nico blushed further and messed with his hair. "Really? Does it look bad?"

"No." Will gave him a warm, sincere smile. "It looks cute."

Nico quickly turned away to hide his flushed cheeks. "Di Dio," he muttered to himself, holding a hand to his chest, where his heart was beating overtime. "Questo ragazzo sarà la mia fine..." He shook his head, feeling a small smile cross his lips. _Even so, I'm ready. Whatever he brings with him, I'm ready for it._

Turning back around, he met Will's eyes and let himself smile fully. "Let's go inside?"

The blond nodded in agreement, a smile still resting on his face, as if it belonged there, which Nico supposed it did. "Yeah," Will agreed. As he walked past, his scent briefly brushed against Nico's senses, faintly reminding him of a sunlit meadow. "Let's go inside."

Nico pulled the key from his Ducati and followed after him without hesitation. He found his life rapidly changing all around him, and that was in a large part due to Will. But Nico didn't mind. Life was full of change, and this was a good one. And he would be glad to have it around. Very glad.

He smiled as Will held the door open for him. Very glad indeed.

* * *

 **A/N:** The plot should be picking up after this last fluffy transition chapter, so I hope you guys liked it ;) I'm sure a lot of you guys are now wondering why Nico hates Olive Garden XD Don't worry; that will eventually be revealed. Anyway, until then, remember to follow and favorite if you like the story, and leave comments, corrections, and suggestions in the review section :)

 **Translations;**

 **-** Che diavolo... = What the hell...

 **-** Di Dio. = Gods.

 **-** Questo ragazzo sarà la mia fine... = This boy will be the end of me...


	24. Of Laser Tag And Lunch Outings

**A/N:** Hey guys! I am SO sorry this chapter took me so long to get out! I got sick _again_! Apparently, my immune system sucks. But anyway, I finally got around to writing another chapter, so I hope you all like it. and once again: SORRY FOR THE WAIT!

* * *

 **24**

 **Nico**

* * *

"Hey, Nico, Will!" As they walked inside, Jason half-stood from the table he and Piper were sitting at to wave at them. "Over here!"

Nico waved back and headed that way with Will close behind him, and they sat down when they reached the table. "Hey. I hope you didn't have to wait very long?"

Jason waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry about it." He reached across the end of the table and handed them both menus. "Anyway, we told them we'd wait to order till you got here, so no biggie." He picked up his own menu and flipped through it, glancing up at Nico with a look that he didn't like very much.

"So..." He leaned forward, resting his chin in the palm of his hand with a smile. "How are things going with you two?"

Nico face-palmed. "I knew it was coming." He ran a hand through his hair, looking back up at Jason with a grimace. "Jason, I've told you many times that if I ever had any semblance of a love life, you would have no part of it—zero, _zilch_. Do you recall having this conversation?"

"Hmmm..." Jason faked a contemplative look before shaking his head. "Nope, I don't remember that ever happening."

"Of course not," Nico muttered irritably. He let out an exhausted sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. Will, meanwhile, was glancing back and forth between them with a nervous smile. Nico glanced over at him and rolled his eyes. The blond was clearly terrified: He probably thought Jason was going to threaten him like Percy had. Reaching over, he discreetly squeezed Will's hand under the table. "Don't worry about Jason, Will. He's like a mama bear when it comes to his friends."

"Damn straight," the blond said with a finger-gun in his direction, as if this was something to be proud of.

Nico smirked at him before adding, "And Percy's like the dad."

Jason visibly deflated as Piper snickered into her hand beside him. "Y'know, he's not wrong."

"Whatever," Jason mumbled, fingering the edge of a napkin dejectedly. "Let's order."

"Sure thing, _Mom_ ," Nico said, sending Piper into another fit of loud snorty laughter. Will seemed way more relaxed now, and Nico squeezed his hand once more before releasing it and reaching for a menu. Across the table, Piper was poking Jason in the side while he swatted at her with a menu. Nico rolled his eyes.

Beside him, Will was struggling to extract his silverware from the napkin they were wrapped in when his phone rang. He reached into his pocket and fished it out, and Nico watched him answer it curiously. He didn't actually listen to what he was saying, instead tracing the shape of his moving lips, and his sharp cheekbones, and the places where his hair met his forehead. Geez, how could somebody be so _perfect_? It was seriously irritating.

Will nodded once, even though the person on the phone obviously couldn't see him, and then hung up. Nico, jolted out of his reverie, asked, "Who was it?"

"Lou." Will brushed some stray strands of golden hair out of his face and picked up his menu. "She wants me to meet her for laser tag practice later."

"You _practice_ laser tag?" Nico asked incredulously. Will just got weirder and weirder...

The blond nodded happily. "Yep. We do this tournament every year, and it's coming up, so we have to practice."

"You're in a laser tag tournament?" It was Piper who asked. At Will's nod, she grinned, eyes shining. "That's so cool! I _love_ laser tag but I'm nothing compared to Jason and Percy..." She sighed. "I can never play with them because they utterly _crush_ me. It's embarrassing. The only person I can ever beat is Reyna. She's oddly ungifted at playing laser tag."

"Reyna?" Will inquired with a raised brow.

"One of our friends," Piper said dismissively. "I should introduce you two sometime. I bet you'd get along famously. She and Nico are like two peas in a pod."

"You only say that because we're both dark-skinned," Nico countered jokingly.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Well, _yes_ , but you're both also super edgy and antisocial to the point of being scary. I mean you have, like, this _vibe_ about you that makes people avoid you. Y'know?"

"That's oddly specific, but thank you." Nico spread open his menu and surveyed the drink selection. "It's not like it's our fault. In my opinion, the entire populace is just generally idiotic."

"See, now that's something Reyna would _totally_ say!" Piper exclaimed, pointing her menu at him. Nico shrugged and continued searching through the menu while Piper turned to Jason and started talking animatedly to him about something or other. _Gods_ , sometimes that girl moved too fast for him.

Beside him, Will was studying—with far too much concentration, in Nico's opinion—his menu, brows furrowed. This, however, only lasted for about a minute before his eyes widened without warning and he turned to Nico as if just realizing something. "Hey, Nico, you should come with me! You were pretty good last time we played, and we could always use some more people on our team."

Realizing he was talking about laser tag again, Nico pursed his lips uncertainly. "I don't know... Are you sure?"

"Of course!" Will beamed at him. "Actually..." He turned to Jason and Piper, who had been watching, equally alarmed by his sudden exclamation. "You guys should come too! Right now, it's just me and Lou, so if you guys came, we'd have a perfect team of five!"

Piper blinked at him. "I mean, sure, but... I have work right after this. You should ask Percy. That idiot would probably be ridiculously psyched about it."

Will nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, you're right! He was pretty good when we played before."

"He'd probably be even better in a competition," Piper said sagely. "Anyway, I actually have another friend who does laser tag competitions. He gets really competitive, too. It's almost embarrassing to be seen with him, especially since he gets so egotistical when he plays against someone."

"Oh, really?" Will asked curiously. "I've never known anyone else that does it." He seemed like he wanted to keep talking about it, but before he could say anything else, the waiter came to take their orders. After they'd handed over the menus, Jason and Piper got into a heated conversation about something—Nico heard the word 'Spiderman' at least six times—and he turned to Will to spark up a conversation of his own. "So you really like laser tag a lot, don't you, sunshine?"

Will glanced over at him, blue eyes flashing with a smile. "Yep. It's fun, don't you think?"

Nico shrugged. "Maybe... But I'm more of a 'stay in and watch anime' kind of guy."

"Oh, trust me, I know," Will said with a laugh. "But you need to get out of the house more." He reached over and pinched Nico's cheek. "You wouldn't be so pale if you got some sun once in a while." Nico swatted his hand away in annoyance, only causing the blond to chuckle. "It's true, Nico. Have you ever even gotten a summer tan?"

"Uh..." Nico shook his head and smiled sheepishly. Will's eyes narrowed as he pointed an accusative finger at him. "Hey, wait a second, don't tell me you've never even been to the beach before? Or surely at least the _pool_?"

"Well..." He laughed nervously. "Water and I don't get along so well, and when you add _sunlight_ to the equation... "

Will shook his head disbelievingly. "Nico! I'm taking you to the beach _right now_!"

Nico blinked and gave him an exasperated look. "Will, we haven't even gotten our food yet. And didn't you have laser tag practice?"

"Okay, fine, _after_ we eat," Will said decisively, carefully picking his menu back up, which he had discarded in his fit of surprise at Nico having never been to the beach. "And I can cancel practice for today. This is more important."

"B-but, I c-can't just—" Nico spluttered in weak protest, but Will cut him off with a hand. "Shh! I am taking you to the beach after this, and that is _final_!" Nico tried to protest again but Will shot him such a harsh glare he shivered and nodded dejectedly, turning back to his own menu with a grimace. _That was almost as scary as that time he forced me to eat soup..._ He shuddered.

Across the table, Jason and Piper were still arguing, and Nico tuned into the last vestiges of their conversation long enough to gather that they'd been arguing which superhero was the best. They might've been even nerdier than Nico... Although, he had to agree with Piper's firm stance that Spiderman ( _that's_ why it had been said so much) was the best. Before he could put in his two cents, however, their food was arriving, and Will enthusiastically started squirting ketchup in diagonal lines across his fries.

 _What a weirdo._ Nico rolled his eyes with a minuscule, lifted-corner-of-the-mouth smile and turned to his own food, frowning as he pulled off the lettuce and onion. Was Will seriously going to take him to the beach...? After a while of debating this, Nico shook his head and took a bite of his burger. _No way. He was probably just joking._

* * *

"You weren't joking." Nico's tone held a note of distinct irritation, and he stared at Will with a chagrined expression. The blond frowned, as he was currently sorting through a rack of swimsuits at Walmart. " _Of course_ I wasn't joking." He pulled a blue one from the rack and scowled at it before putting it back. "I can't believe you don't have a swimsuit, Nico."

"If I've never been to the pool or the beach, _why_ would I have a swimsuit?" Nico pointed out incredulously. Will shot him a sharp look. "Hey, shut up. Now stop standing all emo-ey over there with your arms crossed and come pick one of these."

Nico scowled but went over anyway. "I hate them all."

"If you don't pick one, I'll pick for you," Will warned. "And trust me; you do _not_ want that."

"Ugh." Nico grimaced and flipped through the rack slowly. He paused on one in particular and sighed. "Here." He plucked it from the rack and shoved it in Will's arms with an annoyed huff. " _This_ _one_?" Will laughed outright and Nico blushed and turned away from him. "Stop laughing. It's the only one in black."

Will continued giggling like a little girl and Nico shot him a glare over his shoulder. "Solace, _honestly_ , it's not _that_ funny," he huffed. Will didn't seem to agree as he was struggling to hold back tears at this point. "But"—he had to pause here to catch his breath—"I just _can't_ picture you wearing something cute like this!"

Nico's blush deepened to a dark vermillion and he scowled harder. " _Will_."

"I mean—" Will gasped and shook his head. "It's so _adorable_!" He gestured at the black swim trunks to emphasize the cute cartoon skulls printed on them, which brought on another violent fit of laughter. People were beginning to stare at this point, and Nico had the overwhelming urge to football-tackle Will to the ground and slap a hand over his mouth.

However, since he had never played a sport in his life, instead: " _William Solace_!" Nico stomped his foot and gave the boy the best death glare he could muster. "Stop laughing before you keel over and die." He pointed threateningly. "That, or I kill you first!"

Will only laughed harder at that, and Nico let out an angry growl. "Will!" It came out whinier than he would have liked, but Will finally seemed to steel himself and managed to look him in the eyes without bursting into a fit of hyena-esque cackling. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He took a deep breath, seeming to completely compose himself. "I'm sorry. Let's go."

"It's about time," Nico muttered, trudging towards the check-out with Will beside him. The blond poked him in the cheek, earning a glare. "Aw, Nico, stop being so gloomy!" Will poked him again. "You'll get wrinkles if you frown all the time. Besides, you're way cuter when you smile."

"Shut up!" Nico whipped his head around and glared at the floor. "I won't get wrinkles..." He touched his face and frowned slightly, then immediately slapped himself for listening to a single thing that came out of that ridiculous perfect mouth of Will's and punched him in the arm, eliciting a light protest. " _Ow_ , Nico! It's not nice to hit people!"

"It's not nice to give out false information," Nico shot back. Will laughed at him and bumped their shoulders together—definitely _not_ causing his heart to skip a beat, nope. "Haha, very funny. Come on; let's check out. The sooner we leave the more beach time we have!"

Nico let out a tortured sigh and followed after the exuberant blond as he hopped into the nearest checkout line. _I have a feeling_ _I'm going to regret agreeing to this..._

* * *

 **A/N:** FINALLY GOT THE CHAPTER OUT WOOT WOOT! Wow, it's been so long since the last one. Sorry guys. I've been super swamped so I haven't had much chance to write, and I like to do chapters for HTMM when I'm at my best, so it was, unfortunately, a long while of working on it in bits and pieces, but it's finally done! YES, NEXT TIME IS THE OBLIGATORY BEACH EPISODE! Will dragging Nico's pale little ass to the beach is like my aesthetic so be prepared for begrudging fluff, scowling, and sunburns XD

Anyways, on another note, I have about 4-6 more chapter for this planned out but idk if that's too many. Are you guys getting bored with the story? (I really hope not.) Also, I was planning a sequel to this. What do you guys think about that? Let me know the answers to both questions down in the review section, and as always, follow and favorite if you like the story and want to support it, and leave corrections, suggestions, and comments down in the review section! Until next time! ;)


	25. A Day At The Beach

**A/N:** Obligatory beach episode is here! XD I wanted to get this one out fast because of the long delay for the last one, so I hope you guys like it ^-^

* * *

 **25**

 **Will**

* * *

"Here we are!" Will practically leaped out of his car and spread his arms out wide, closing his eyes and inhaling a deep breath of the salty ocean air. "Smell that, Nico? That's the smell of _freedom_."

Nico—who had just gotten out of the car and was leaning against it with his arms crossed, wearing an awkward grimace—pursed his lips. "No, I'm pretty sure that's the smell of dead sea creatures and sunscreen." His nose crinkled up adorably. "And also... seaweed? Yep, that's seaweed, Will."

Will shot him a look and crossed his arms poutingly. "Nico, it's _freedom_. Salty air, the sun on your skin, sand beneath your feet!" He waved an arm to encompass the entirety of the beach. "It's beautiful!" He turned back to the dark-haired boy—who was still scowling—and clasped his hands together with a pleading look. "At least _try_ to look like you don't want to grab the nearest plastic sand shovel and dig your own grave, okay?"

A loud, drawn-out sigh; an eye roll. " _Fine_. But don't expect me to have any fun. I told you already; water, sunlight and I don't mix."

"Whatever you say, Nico." Feeling like this was still a small victory on his part, Will beamed and went around to the back of his car to grab the multitudinous beach equipment he'd stocked it with when they stopped by his house earlier. "Nico, come help me unload, would you?"

The Italian grumbled something in response and walked around, watching as Will popped the trunk and started gathering armfuls of random things—sand-castle-making tools, goggles, sunblock, and a beach ball, to name a few. While he started arranging them into a more comfortable carrying position in his arms, Nico grabbed the cooler, chairs, and umbrella, struggling under the weight of it all, stumbling and careening back and forth. Will would've offered to take some of it from him if Nico didn't look so adorable and his hands weren't already full.

"Let's go find a spot!" Will exclaimed this with perhaps a bit _too_ much enthusiasm, but he didn't care. He needed to get Nico excited. This was his first trip to the beach, after all; Will wanted to make it as special and memorable as he possibly could. It was also their first trip to the beach _together_... He wanted to have as much fun as possible.

Nico sighed and nodded, and Will started walking down the wooden path leading to the sand, Nico struggling along behind him, precariously balancing the objects he was carrying, barely able to see above the cooler, which was perched in his arms, under which the two chairs were held, the umbrella sandwiched loosely in the crook of his armpit. "Will, hurry and find a spot before I drop all this," he complained, nearly running head-first into a wooden post and careening around it, barely managing to avoid tripping and sending all of his stuff flying.

Will held back the insane urge to squeal how adorable he was to the whole universe and instead assured him he was looking for a spot, but that they had to be close to the ocean because the view was better. While Nico continued stumbling along behind him like a newborn deer, muttering curses under his breath, Will kept his eyes out for a suitable spot to set up. "Oh, I see one!"

Doing an awkward shuffle-run, Will plunked down the beach toys to mark the spot as theirs. "Nico, you can set down the—" Before Will could finish, there was a large wet splattering sound as Nico unceremoniously dropped all of the contents of his arms onto the moist sand, letting out a huge relieved breath.

"Well... okay then." Will started arranging the chairs and Nico reluctantly helped organize the beach toys into piles and set up the umbrella over the chairs when Will had finished. When they had finished, Will stood back, surveying their work with a proud smile, hands on his hips. "Alright!" He dusted the sand off his hands with a wide smile Nico's way. "Let's beach day the shit out of you!"

* * *

"Will, I'm not so sure about this," Nico said nervously, shifting from foot to foot as if he were ready to make a break for it. Will stood in front of him, feet already in the tide, and turned to give him an unamused look. "Nico, get over here. The ocean is _not_ going to kill you."

"Mmm..." Nico made a noise of disbelief but took a half-step towards the water anyway. Will, growing impatient, grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out into the ocean. Nico let out a kitten-like squeal and backpedaled, causing him to trip over a sand dune and tumble backward. He looked up at Will, who was struggling not to laugh, and shot him a glare. "This isn't funny, so don't you dare laugh."

He stood up, dusting the sand off his swim trunks and black shirt—which he'd refused to take off—irritably. "I've just... I've never been in the ocean before. It feels... _odd_." He looked at the aforementioned body of water as if it had personally offended him and took another step away from it.

Will smiled at him fondly. _Gosh_ , sometimes Nico was _way_ too cute for someone so emo. (Then again, Will wasn't sure he could classify him as that anymore, considering he was afraid of the beach and loved Disney movies.) Nico was still shaking the sand off of himself with a small annoyed scowl. Getting a sudden idea, Will grinned mischievously and, while Nico was distracted, snuck up on him and scooped him up bridal-style.

Ignoring the boy's shouts of protest, he sprinted to the water and chucked Nico in like a sack of flower. The Italian let out an inhuman-like scream, popping up out of the water like a jack-in-the-box. He was soaking wet and his eyes held a note of disbelief as he turned to look at Will, who was wearing an innocent smile, already holding up his hands, as even an idiot could see where this was going.

"WILLIAM SOLACE HO INTENZIONE DI CAZZO OMICIDIO VOI! I SWEAR TO FUCK GET OVER HERE!"

Will turned with a loud squeal of laughter as Nico started chasing him around screaming bloody murder, waving his fists back and forth like a senile old man yelling at some kids. "WILL I SWEAR TO THE GODS YOU'RE SO FUCKING DEAD WHEN I CATCH YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?! I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I'M SORRY!" Will yelled back, voice full of laughter. People were watching them, some with raised brows and others with amused smiles, and Will felt unnaturally happy because of it, though he probably should've been fearing for his life considering some of the threats Nico were shouting. This was actually... really fun.

Unfortunately, Will couldn't keep running forever, and eventually, he tripped over his own feet and sprawled face-first in the sand, allowing Nico to catch up to him. He tackled Will, leaping on his back like a wild cat, and sending him back down with an _oof_. He struggled to his knees as Nico wrapped his arms around his shoulders, refusing to let him go, and coughed out sand, laughing. "Ahaha, Nico, you're strangling me!"

"This is what you get for tossing me in the water like that!" he yelled back. Will struggled to his feet, feeling water running down his back from Nico's wet shirt. "I said I was sorry! But you needed a little push." He shot the boy a smile over his shoulder, causing Nico to scowl.

"A _little_ push?" he asked incredulously. "You call throwing me in the water a 'little push'?"

Will grinned. "Eh, okay, maybe it was a _bit_ excessive. But you're not afraid of going in the ocean anymore, right?"

"No, but _you_ should be because I now have a creeping, intense urge to drown you."

"Aw, you would never drown me," Will said, placing a kiss on Nico's wet cheek. "I'm too handsome to die."

Nico scoffed, flicking him on the side of the head. "You wish, sunshine. You must be delusional. I think you swallowed some sand."

Will chuckled, sliding his arms under Nico's knees and shifting so he could find his center of balance and walk easier wth the added weight. He started walking back towards their spot, squinting up at the sun as the sand squished between his toes. "Y'know, Nico, I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I am _starving_. Let's go buy some food!"

" _You_ are a dork," Nico proclaimed factually. " _But_ I also happen to be hungry, so let's go."

* * *

"Alright, let's get back in the water!" Will exclaimed as soon as they'd finished eating and thrown their garbage away. "I feel revitalized and ready to swim!"

Nico shook his head adamantly. "Absolutely not. I read online that you're supposed to wait an hour after you eat before going swimming again." He crossed his arms and shot Will an incredulous look. "I figured _you'd_ know that, being 'Dr. William Solace, MD' and all."

"Hey, you be quiet," Will said sternly. "That's just a myth, Nico. Nothing bad will happen if you go swimming after eating. I do it all the time and I'm still perfectly fine!" He gestured to himself as if to prove that he was indeed alive and in one piece. Nico rolled his eyes at this, shaking his head. "Will, why don't we just go sunbathe or something? We can go swimming later."

Will put on a fake pout. "Oh, _fine_. But sunbathing is so _boring_. Let's go make a sandcastle instead!"

"You are _literally_ like a five-year-old trapped in a teenager's body," Nico told him as they started walking back across the beach towards their spot. Will laughed and bumped their shoulders together. "I know. It just adds to my quirky personality, don't you think?"

"Absolutely," Nico agreed with a smirk. "It makes you even more annoying."

"Oh, that _hurts_." Will held a hand to his heart with a melodramatic sigh. "Really, Nico, you wound me."

"Oh, be _quiet_." Nico shoved him lightly and Will glanced over at him with a smile. He was glad Nico appeared to be having fun. That had been the whole point of this beach day, after all. And the more time they spent together, the more things Will found out about Nico. It felt nice slowly getting to know him better and better, like digging in the sand to uncover a seashell. Each day they spent together, Will felt his heart growing bigger and bigger as his love for Nico just kept getting stronger.

It felt odd to love someone this much this quickly, but at the same time, it felt immensely _right_. Maybe it was a stupid thought, but Will felt like he and Nico had something special; the kind of special poets wrote about and epic romances tried to capture. Maybe it was naive, and maybe he was being a little too sappy, but somehow he could feel that their bond would only grow stronger from here...

* * *

They spent the rest of the day at the beach, right up to the sunset. They were laying out on their towels now, staring up at the sky, which was painted in pinks and reds from the dying sun. Will had sand crusted on his feet and in his hair, he'd swallowed at least a cup of seawater, and he was bone-tired from swimming and about 99% sure he had a sunburn he would definitely be feeling tomorrow, but somehow, the night was perfect.

"Hey, look." Nico pushed himself up on one elbow and pointed at the skyline to their left, where a trail of light sped up into the sky before bursting into a bright explosion of purple light, followed quickly by several others, filling the air with the sound of crackling and popping as colors exploded across the stars.

Will sat up next to him and together they stared up at the night sky, watching the fireworks. Sometime during the show, Nico shifted back to rest against Will's chest, he black hair somehow still soft after hours of swimming, tickling Will's chin. As the last firework went off, creating a storm of bright gold sparks, Nico tilted his head back to meet Will's eyes. "Thank you for bringing me here. I had... lots of fun today."

"It was my pleasure." Will smiled down at him, watching as the last vestiges of the fireworks cast a reflection like falling stars in the deep ebony pools of his eyes. He reached down to brush the hair out of his eyes, feeling Nico shiver, though whether it was from the breeze off the water or his touch, he didn't know, nor did he care at this particular moment. Nico had closed his eyes and Will bent down to close the gap between them.

He tasted of salt water, sunshine, and the ocean breeze, and the angle from above was awkward, but somehow, this was the perfect kiss, and Will couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **A/N:** I gave you the Solangelo beach kiss, are you happy now? XD I hope you guys enjoyed this little fluff chapter. Next time we'll get back to the main plot. I'm kinda sad to see this story coming to an end. We only have a few chapters left. But I did decide to make a sequel so the story will continue on! Anyway, remember to follow and favorite if you enjoyed the story, and leave comments, corrections, and suggestions down in the review section. Until next time! Ciao~

 **Translations;**

 **-** HO INTENZIONE DI CAZZO OMICIDIO VOI! = I'M GOING TO FUCKING MURDER YOU!


	26. Ti Adoro

**A/N:** I'M THE WORST WRITER EVER ;-; I'm so so _sososo_ sorry I haven't posted a chapter in so long! I have been swamped and overwhelmed the last few months and I haven't been able to write very much, but seeing as I only have a few more chapters for this planned, I decided I needed to get my ass in gear and pump out the last ones for you guys. So, here's the next chapter, and it's extra long as an apology for being dead for so long. Thank you guys so much for continuing to support the story, even after I stopped writing for a while, and please continue to show your love and support by leaving reviews and following/favoriting.

Also, since I do have a sequel planned, I decided I'd leak the title ;p Its working title is 'Suns 'n Skulls,' but I might change it. Stay tuned for another note at the end of the chapter.

* * *

 **26**

 **Will**

* * *

"Ah, that was fun." Will glanced over at Nico, who was sulking in his passenger seat, and offered him a bright smile. "Don't pretend to sulk, Nico," he said in a sing-song voice. "I know you had a good timeeee~"

The boy in question cut Will a glance and gave a long, drawn-out sigh in response. "Whatever." He pinched his forearm between his thumb and forefinger with a childish pout. "But I can tell I'm sunburned now! My skin looks like an extra-crispy marshmallow. That _can't_ be good for my complexion."

Will snorted out a laugh, pulling into the left lane to head towards his house. "Your _complexion_? _Really_? I wasn't aware that you were so fragile, ghostie boy."

"Hey, shut up," Nico retorted petulantly, as if that was all he could think of, and Will snickered at the childish reply. After a second of scowling at him, Nico's mouth twisted upwards in a satisfied smirk and turned to look out the window with his arms crossed. "At least _you_ have a sunburn, too. That's plenty of compensation for my suffering."

" _Wow_."

"Don't 'wow' me, William. This whole trip was _your_ idea, remember?" Nico crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, giving an amused hum as his brows furrowed in mock-thought. "I think your exact words were—if I'm not mistaken—'I am taking you to the beach, and that is _final_!'" He gave Will an acrid smile. "Not very _mature_ of you, Solace."

"Hey," Will defended, "I only said that because you had _never_ been to the beach before! That's unheard of around here, y'know." He put on an innocent, puppy-dog expression and glanced over at his boyfriend— _gods_ , he didn't think he'd ever get used to calling him that. "Who was I to rob you of that inexpressible _joy_?"

"I hate you," Nico said concisely, smacking him on the arm. Will yelped as the boy's palm made contact with the reddened skin of his bicep and shrank back with a whine, covering the offended area with a protective hand and a glare. " _Owwww_ , Nico, that hurt!" He pulled onto the road leading into their neighborhood with a falsetto pout. "You're so abusive, babe."

Nico spluttered, whipping his head around so fast Will was afraid it might snap. "Did you... just call me _babe_?"

Will shrugged noncommittally, focusing on driving to keep himself from being embarrassed. "I thought I might give the pet-name thing a try. It's cute, don't you think?" In reality, he had been trying to build up the courage to use one since he'd asked Nico out in the first place, but he'd been too nervous. He must've really been relaxed because that had just slipped out of his mouth. How would Nico react, though?

" _No_ , it's not _cute_ ," the Italian in question stressed, face reddening almost as much as Will's shoulders. He buried his chin in the crook of his black-shirt-clad shoulder to try and hide it, but it was no use considering the flush crept all the way down his neck. Will loved how invasive his blush was. "It's _embarrassing_ is what it is..."

"What's so embarrassing about it if no one is around?" Will couldn't help but tease him a little when he was acting this unbearably _adorable_. It was like seeing a puppy and immediately wanting to cuddle it. "I like it. In fact, I think I might make it into a game." He flashed Nico a mischevious smirk. "How many pet-names do you think I can come up with within the five minutes it takes to get to my house?"

"Oh, gods, please _don't_." Nico buried his face in his hands. "Will, I swear..."

"You swear what, _honey_?" Will had to keep from bursting out laughing by gripping the steering wheel like a lifeline. The game rid him of all embarrassment and instead just made it _fun_. "I think it's cute using pet-names, _sweetie_."

"Please stop," Nico begged in a squeaky tone, face so red Will could practically see steam leaking from his ears. "This is _way_ too embarrassing... Can't we just, I don't know, be old-fashioned and call each other by our _names_?" He glanced up at Will between his hands with a pleading look and his heart nearly exploded through his ribcage as Nico applied his Killer Puppy Eyes™. "Please?"

If it hadn't happened already, there was a barely audible _plunk_ as cupid's arrow stabbed Will straight through the chest. Now _he_ was the one to turn away as a blush covered his face and his palms began to sweat. "Sure, sure, sorry." He stared at the road so intently the asphalt started to swirl. His heart felt like it was overflowing and he had to fight to keep a joyful grin off his face.

 _How did I manage to find someone so amazing? I really_ am _the luckiest person alive._

* * *

"Dad, we're back!" Will called in greeting as he kicked open his front door, arms full of sand-encrusted beach stuff from the recently-unloaded car. He peered around a green plastic bucket in his arms to check the living room for signs of his father, but the place looked empty. Dumping his burden on the shoe mat with a shrug, Will made a beeline for the next-most-likely area to find his dad; the kitchen, AKA Apollo's man-cave.

Nico followed after him, having removed his sandy shoes and left them by the door, and eyed Will's non-removed ones with annoyance. "Will, you're tracking sand all over the floor."

"Dad doesn't care," he said back dismissively, though he paused for a moment to tug the shoes off and toss them over by Nico's supplicatingly. "This isn't nearly as bad as that time I cut my hand open and got blood all over the floor. We had to deep-cleanse the carpet."

" _What_?" Nico gave him a horrified look as Will turned and resumed his trek to the kitchen, now shoeless. He shot his boyfriend— _squee_ —a reassuring smile. "Don't worry: obviously it wasn't life-threatening or anything. I'm still alive."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better," Nico muttered, though he raised no further inquiries as Will ducked into the kitchen. He looked directly to the island where his father was usually perched in messy clothes, reading or working on writing a new song (he was in an amateur band), or guzzling his daily dose of caffeine. However, there was nothing there but a note on the counter.

Curious, Will slunk over and plopped down on a barstool, picking up the paper by the corners and glancing over it. _Went out to lunch with a friend. Food in the kitchen for you+Nico. Be back late._ As he finished reading, Will rolled his eyes and crumpled the note into a ball, theatrically basketball-shooting it into the nearest trash can, mimicking the cheers of crazed fans when it sailed in.

Nico watched him with a raised brow. "Um... what did it _say_?"

Will grinned over at him, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Oh, just that we should have wild, crazy sex while my dad is away for the rest of the night."

" _Pft_." Nico covered his hand with his mouth as a crazed laugh tried to break free. He couldn't hold it for long, though, and burst into a fit of loud, snorty cackling. _Adorable,_ Will thought as he watched him clutch the counter for dear life, tears streaming down his face as his guffaws trailed off into loud hiccups. The doctor in him prompted Will to get him a glass of water, but the devil on his shoulder forced him to laugh at Nico's red face and breathless gasping instead. "I was just kidding, mo chroí. Don't have a heart attack."

Nico paused, tone still holding a hint of laughter as he spoke. "Mo chroí? What is that, Dutch?"

Will's lips folded into a smile. "Nope, Irish."

"Tell me what it means?" Nico inquired, staring up at him with a tiny grin.

"Nope," Will replied, fighting back the urge to laugh as Nico's face crumpled into a familiar pout. "Che cosa? I want to know. Dimmi; tell me, _please_?" He stomped his foot irritably as Will shook his head in refusal and wandered past him into the living room. The Italian followed, still fuming. "Will, cretino, I want to know! What are you hiding?"

 _So cute..._ Will held back a squeal as he sat on the couch and glanced up at a frowning Nico with an innocent smile. "Sit down, Nico." He patted the seat. "Come on, non ti fidi di me?" His lips twitched as he used the Italian phrase, He was worried he hadn't said it right. Italian pronunciation had always been tough for him—especially so after hearing Nico's flawless linguistics.

If he noticed, though, Nico said nothing, letting out a long sigh and casting a suspicious glance Will's way. He offered a reassuring smile, hoping to convince him, and the boy rolled his eyes. Seemingly giving up, he collapsed against the couch and burrowed under Will's arm, cuddling up to him like a small animal. Will beamed and wrapped his arms around him. "So, what do you want to do the rest of the day?" he asked, perhaps a bit too cheerfully.

Nico pondered the question for a moment before glancing up at Will with a glint in his eye. The couch shifted as he turned and sat on his lap, intertwining his fingers behind Will's neck. "I don't know," he said slowly with a sly smile. "Got any ideas?"

"Hmmm..." Will's eyes flicked down to Nico's lips with a grin. "Maybe a few." He had barely gotten the words out before Nico kissed him, and he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy, savoring the taste of mint on his breath. Nico shifted, his hands slipping through his hair, gently tugging in places. _Upstairs,_ his brain told him, and Will pushed them to a standing position obediently, shifting Nico's weight onto his hips as he blindly stumbled towards the hallway.

He almost tripping several times on the way up the stairs, but Will couldn't focus on anything other than Nico long enough to care. He fumbled with the doorknob to his room for a good ten seconds before finally wrenching it open, kicking it closed behind them. His brain functions felt sluggish, and he faintly wondered if Nico's lips might be magic to make his head feel like this. Of course, there was no time for wondering. Questions didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the two of them.

Will's knees struck the bed and they crashed onto it in a flurry of limbs and hot breath, everything moving far too fast, but far too slow. Will broke contact for a moment to stare down at Nico's face, all hooded eyes, sharp angles, and swollen lips. " _Bello_ ," he whispered, tracing the shape of his cheekbone. He was sure of the pronunciation this time, having looked up the words over and over again, just waiting for a chance to say them. "Così, _così_ bello."

"Ahem," someone cleared their throat by the window. "Am I interrupting something?"

Will's senses came crashing back down with the force of a 10-ton truck, knocking him off Nico, off the bed, and straight onto his ass on the floor. A little internal panic siren was going off in his head, and his heart felt like it would pop out of his ribcage and crawl away as he looked up into the amused, smirking face of his best friend. "Lou?" He was on his feet in an instant, shooting her his best thou-shalt-die eyes. " _What the fuck are you doing in here?_ "

His unspoken question was really, 'What the fuck are you doing in here ruining the mood?' but he left that unsaid and instead continued glaring at her as she snickered and retreated back against the windowsill. "Oh, I was just coming to yell at you for skipping practice, but I guess Nico had the _disciplining_ part covered for me."

"Oh, my gods." Will covered his face with his hands and tried to calm himself down before he overheated and fainted like Nico loved to do. "Lou, I'll give you _ten seconds_ to get out before you get skinned alive."

She giggled, already lifting the window. "Oh, trust me, I'm gone." As she stuck a leg out the open gap, she cast a wink Nico's way. "You've earned my approval! Use protection, kids!"

Will lunged for the window, but she dropped onto the tree and retreated before he could catch her, cackling like a sadistic witch. A sadistic, mood-killing, romance-crushing witch. He yelled empty threats out the window after her, but she simply paused at the edge of his lawn and stuck her tongue out at him, mimicking a jockey riding a horse before she hopped on her moped and escaped, laughing like a maniac all the way down the block.

Fuming, Will turned to Nico and immediately felt his heart go _doki-doki_ (no, he wasn't kidding). He had sat up and was hugging a pillow, staring up at him with bright red cheeks and a mortified expression, like he wanted to crawl under a blanket and never come out again. "I can't believe that just happened," he whispered as Will sat down beside him, burying his face in the pillow and squeezing it. "I'm going to die..."

"You're not going to _die_." Will rolled his eyes, scooting around Nico to hold him from behind, resting his head on his shoulder. "Sure, it's embarrassing, but it's just Lou. Though she seems like a blabbermouth, she won't tell anyone." He squeezed Nico's forearms. "I promise, so don't freak out, okay, love?"

Nico's head snapped around to glare at him. " _No_ pet-names."

" _That's_ what you choose to say?" Will felt himself grinning. "C'mon, grumpy, smile a little."

"No way," Nico fired back, returning his forehead to the pillow. His voice came out muffled. "I'm still embarrassed."

"Mmmm." Will grinned at the back of his neck before seizing Nico and roughly pulling him back, throwing them both across the mattress like a pro-wrestler. Nico squealed as Will started tickling him, begging for mercy between giggles. "Please— ack, Will— Stop, please, please! _Misericordia_!" He finally managed to push Will's hands away and collapsed against his chest, breathing heavily. "I _hate_ you..."

He chuckled. "I love you, too."

Nico paused momentarily to glance up at him, resting his hands, folded, across his black T-Shirt, dark eyes serious. "Do you really mean it?"

Will smiled earnestly and bent down to kiss him, ever so slowly and carefully. As he pulled away, he repeated the words Nico had said to him what seemed like so long ago, meeting his eyes so he would know he was serious. "Ti Adoro, Nico." He buried his nose in the boy's hair, feeling out of nowhere a bit like he wanted to cry. "Ti Adoro tanto..."

He felt Nico's thin arms squeeze him back tightly, acting as a lifeline. "Ti Adoro anch'io, il mio cuore."

They lay there together, just holding each other, until they both drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:** HA. YOU THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE A SEX SCENE, DIDN'T YOU? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Nup, we keepin' it PG-14 kiddies... at least until the sequel ;) Which brings me to the other note I wanted to mention: I want to make a new cover for this story as well as one for the upcoming sequel and if any of you out there are generous enough to draw them for me, I would be eternally grateful ;-;

Anyway, once again, I'm super sorry for the delayed chapter and I'll have another one out within the week, writer's honor. I hope y'all enjoyed it, and please do follow and favorite because it makes me guiltier with every new fan that I'm not writing... (´д｀)

 _Ahem_. Also, feel free to leave reviews with comments, correctiosn, or suggestions, or PM me anytime about the story, or if you just want to talk :)

Until next time, addio babes~

( **P.S.:** I like didn't edit this so pls tell me if I made any mistakes. K bye.)

 **Translations;**

 **-** Mo chroí. = My pulse. (I love the Irish to death for this saying.)

 **-** Che cosa? = What?

 **-** Dimmi = Tell me.

 **-** Cretino = Idiot, jerk.

 **-** Non ti fidi di me? = Don't you trust me?

 **-** _Bello_. = _Beautiful_.

 **-** Così, _così_ bello. = So, _so_ beautiful.

 _\- Misericordia_! = _Mercy_!

 _-_ Ti Adoro, Nico. = I love you, Nico. (SQUEE! .)

 **-** Ti Adoro tanto... = I love you so much...

 **-** Ti Adoro anch'io, il mio cuore. = I love you too, my heart. (I _**DIED** _ WRITING THIS PART AHHGH)


	27. Sleeping In And Meeting Friends

**A/N:** I'm so sorry I didn't keep my promise to put out a chapter sooner, but I've had pretty severe health problems recently that I've had to take care of, so I haven't been able to get on my computer much. I hope you all understand ;-; RIP responsibility. Hope you guys like the chapter~

* * *

 **27**

 **Nico**

* * *

The next morning, Nico woke with Will's familiar warmth against his back, blond hair tickling his neck as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. Will let out a quiet mumble in his sleep and shifted, nuzzling the back of Nico's neck like a needy kitten. He had to hold back a laugh as he rolled around to face him, smiling fondly as he ran his fingers through golden locks. _Soft... He really is like a cat._

"Mmmm..." Will yawned, finally awakened by the gentle movement, and cracked his eyelids open to reveal slivers of bright blue. "...Nico?" He smiled sleepily, causing a pang of happiness in Nico's chest. _Cuteee. My heart can't handle this much cute at once_ _._ "Is it morning now?"

He nodded as Will pushed himself up slowly, cracking his neck side to side and wincing as his bones cracked. "Ah... I feel refreshed." Stretching his arms above his head, he turned to Nico with his typical million-dollar smile and a bed-head worthy of a supermodel. "I forgot to say good morning! Come hai dormito?"

Nico, smiling at the use of Italian, thought about it for a moment before answering earnestly. "Good." And it was true: he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept so soundly. Usually, he would toss and turn endlessly, but with Will beside him, he'd slept like a rock the whole night. " _Really_ good, actually."

"That's good." Will gave him another heart-melting smile as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Nico watched him as he wandered over to a chest of drawers and began sorting through it with tired laziness. After a while of digging around and cursing, he pulled out a few different things and returned to the bed, handing Nico a pair of gray sweatpants and an old Haikyuu! T-Shirt, both _way_ too big.

"Sorry, you may have to tailor them a bit, but these should be small enough to fit you." He opened his bedroom door and cast a grin back over his shoulder. "I'll go change in the bathroom. Be back in a bit." He closed the door behind him, leaving Nico alone to get dressed.

As expected, the clothes were about two or three sizes too big, so Nico had to tie up the sweatpants to keep them from dragging on the ground and tuck in some of the shirt so it didn't cover his knees, but it wasn't too bad. When he was finished with the modifications, he sat on the bed to wait for Will, hugging his arms to his chest. _They smell like him..._ He buried his nose in the fabric with a happy little sigh.

Flopping down on the bed, he curled up under the blanket and pulled the shirt's hem up to his nose. Nico yawned loudly and pulled the blanket higher over his shoulders. It was so comforting and warm, he could almost fall asleep again...

* * *

By the time Nico opened his eyes, warm rays of afternoon sun were shining through Will's parted curtains, painting the floor with a shade of honey-colored light. He moaned at the stark brightness and rolled over, feeling the loose fabric of Will's clothes bunching around his hips uncomfortably as he shifted. He remembered that he'd fallen asleep waiting and slowly forced himself into a sitting position, squinting around in confusion. Where was Will?

Untangling himself from the blankets, Nico slid off the bed and wandered towards the door unsteadily. The sweatpants had slipped back down to pool around his ankles. He frowned, pinching the fabric with his hands to hold it up as he opened the door. The hallway was quiet, but from downstairs came two voices; presumably Will and his father.

The stairs were a struggle with the baggy pants, but Nico made it safely to the bottom without tripping. The living room was empty as he moved through it, the voices he heard earlier undoubtedly resonating from the kitchen.

It wasn't like he was _trying_ to eavesdrop, but when he heard his name, he stopped himself right before entering the kitchen and pressed his back against the wall to listen despite his conscience advising him against it.

"Y'know, Will, you and Nico have been spending _a lot_ of time together lately." Nico recognized Apollo's voice, but it sounded more like he was talking through a speaker than in person.

"Yeah," Will responded distractedly, followed by the sound of dishes clinking. "So what, Dad?"

"Nothing, nothing..." He paused uncomfortably. "I mean, I just wanted to let you know, son, that if you two are, you know, _seeing each other_ , I would totally support you, one-hundred percent. As long as you two are, of course, um... being _safe_."

Will groaned. " _Daaddddd_!"

"I'm just being a parent!" Apollo rushed defensively. "I'm trying to look out for my son's health and well-being! What's so wrong with that, huh?" There was a long, drawn-out pause where neither father nor son spoke. "You _do_ know about the proper protection, right, Will?"

"Okay, this conversation is officially _over_." Nico (blushing at the embarrassing conversation) heard Will click off the speaker so he couldn't hear Apollo's response, but a second later, they said their goodbyes and Will hung up, letting out a loud, exhausted sigh. "Gah... Protection? _Really_? Fucking _Dad_."

Deciding it was a good time to make his entrance, Nico ducked around the doorway, faking a yawn to avoid suspicion. "Will? Why didn't you wake me up earlier? What time is it?" He noticed with amusement that the blond was blushing as heavily as _he_ had been a second ago, coughing nervously into his hand. "U-um... It's nearing ten." He beamed happily, seemingly having collected himself. "And you just looked so _cute_ sleeping, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up!"

Nico rolled his eyes and punched the blond lightly on the shoulder as he leaned against the counter beside him with his arms crossed. "Shut up. So, what's the plan today?"

Will pulled out two cereal bowls and set them on the counter. "Well, first of all; breakfast. After that, I have to go practice with Lou. She's still mad at me for blowing her off before and going to the beach without her."

Nico frowned as the blond started digging around in the pantry for cereal, having an unreasonable amount of trouble. "Oh, right... I forgot about that. Do I have to come too?"

"Of course!" Will accentuated the exclamation by slamming down his chosen box of cereal with slightly too much force, bending the cardboard corners. "I still need you to be on my team, silly! Lou's also bringing someone new she met at the library who said they'd join us. And Cecil finally agreed, too, so we'll have a perfect team of five for the tournament."

Raising an eyebrow, Nico took a seat at the table, resting his chin in his hand as Will began meticulously preparing their cereal, measuring a perfect cup of cereal and milk into each bowl with a frown. "You mentioned that before. Is this tournament thing a big deal?"

"Pretty much." Will grinned excitedly, momentarily dropping his concentration. "Every year on July sixteenth, this arcade hosts the Legendary Laser Tournament. If your team wins it, you pretty much become unequivocal laser gods. Suffice it to say, the bragging rights are in high demand."

" _Unequivocal laser gods_?" Nico scoffed. "Never thought I'd hear _those_ three words together."

"Stop being smart and eat," Will ordered, setting a pristine bowl in front of him and forcing a spoon into his hands, collapsing in the chair beside him. Nico smiled evilly and picked up a piece of cereal, placing it on his spoon and flicking it at Will. The wheaty projectile struck him in the center of the forehead, falling down into his bowl as Will let out a theatrical gasp and Nico snickered into his hand.

"You did _not_ just throw cereal at me."

"Actually, I think I did."

Will shook his head as he scooped up a spoonful of cereal and aimed it at him. "Oh, it's _on_ , di Angelo. You just started all-out breakfast _warfare_ : Prepare for the consequences!"

* * *

After they'd cleaned up the kitchen and rid it of evidence of their impromptu food fight, Will changed clothes and they hopped in his car to drive over to Critical Hit to meet Lou, Cecil, and the mysterious third person that would be joining them on their nerd expedition. Will—the dork he was—connected his phone to the car radio and blasted BTS the whole way.

By the time they parked, he was halfway through Suga's rap in Cypher Part 2 and pulled the keys from the ignition with a flourish right as he finished it. Nico sat there staring at him with a raised brow, palm resting on the door handle. "I... did _not_ know you could do that."

Will winked at him as he undid his seatbelt. "It's one of my secret talents. Come on, let's go!"

Nico followed him out of the car, still slightly flabberghasted by the sudden revelation of his 'secret talent.' This boy was a verifiable _treasure trove_ of hidden talents, and it was seriously annoying. Like, leave some talent for the rest of the world, would you? Still, it was kind of... impressive? And not necessarily the _weirdest_ thing he'd found out about Will so far...

"Nico." A finger flicked him gently on the forehead. "You're spacing off."

"Huh? Ah, Scusa." He looked around and took note of their surroundings for the first time since walking in as Will led them through a crowd of people by a line of claw machines. Critical Hit was basically like any other arcade, filled with tons of mini-games and a prize counter, but this one was _way_ cooler than Nico had expected. It was _huge_ , with a neon rockclimbing course on one giant wall in the back, a full mini-golf course, and a spacious room with one-way glass to reveal the laser-tag course beyond. It was like a mini amusement park.

Will must've noticed his dazed expression because he dropped back and took his hand with a proud smile, like _he_ was the one who owned the place. "I discovered this place when I was, like, eight. It's pretty much been my hangout ever since. You like it?"

"Yeah," Nico managed to say, still trying to absorb all the flashing lights and bright colors that were assaulting him in every direction, not to mention all the people. "It's... _big_."

That earned a laugh from Will as he directed them around a row of DDR machines. "Yeah, that was my first impression, too. It looks a lot smaller from the outside. Anyway, we need to look for Lou and the others. She told me they'd be by the skeeball section."

Nico nodded and allowed the blond to lead them, weaving through groups of sweaty excited kids and giggling teenagers towards the back corner of the games. With how many people there were, Nico was a little surprised he hadn't heard of this place before. Then again, the only people he really talked to were his few friends, so who knew what else he was missing out on.

"Ah, there they are!" Will suddenly exclaimed, giving his arm a slight tug to signal he'd spotted their goal. They started cutting their way through the crowd towards three people sitting on tall vinyl stools in front of an old-fashioned milkshake bar Nico hadn't noticed before, separated from the skeeball machines by a thick wall painted an obnoxious highlighter green.

Though he couldn't see the other two very well through the crowd, Nico had a clear view of Lou and observed that she had dyed the ends of her short, curly brown hair a bright lime green. As usual, her odd fashion sense was in full bloom as she sported a purple top with several thin straps crisscrossing her arms in place of sleeves, black overalls, and gray sneakers patterned with alien faces and the phrase 'I believe.'

 _Interesting as ever. She never disappoints._

"Lou!" Will called out when they were a few feet away, hazardously careening to a stop a mere inch before crashing into the counter, Nico nearly running into his back because of the sudden halt. "Ohmygosh your _hair_! I love it so much! Velmi stylové."

Lou spun around on her stool to greet them with one hand on her neck and her leg stretched out dramatically like a supermodel. "Thank you, thank you. I did it myself last night. Thought I messed it up but it looks pretty good." Her lips turned down into a frown as her hands migrated to her hips. "But it's about time you two got here! We've been waiting for two whole milkshakes _and_ a plate of chili cheese fries!"

"Sorry, we got stuck in traffic." Will brushed a few strands of wispy hair from his face and let out an exhausted puff of air while Nico shifted behind him, their hands still linked. "We sort of hurried. Are you guys ready to practice?"

"I was born ready," Lou joked stoically. "Anyway, yes: I have to introduce you!" She turned her smile upon a tall, slender girl sitting next to her, sipping on a chocolate milkshake. She turned after finishing her mouthful and Lou's cheeks became a little pink—though it could've just been the flashing lights of the arcade behind them. "Everyone, it's my great pleasure to introduce you to—"

Nico cut her off mid-sentence. " _Reyna_?!"

At the same time, the Puerto Rican girl gasped, causing residual chocolate shake to dribble down her chin. " _Nico_?"

For a moment, the two just stared at each other in silence while Lou and Cecil traded confused glances and Reyna wiped her mouth with a napkin. Will was the only one who seemed unsurprised, slapping his palm into his open fist with an 'Aha!' expression as Nico was still processing that the stranger wasn't actually a _stranger_. "Oh, _Reyna_! You guys were talking about her at lunch that time."

His helpful observation seemed to clear the air, and the group shared an awkward laugh together.

"I didn't know you guys _knew_ each other already!" Lou spoke up with a childish pout. "I guess we don't really need introductions now." She seemed a little disappointed she wouldn't get to do her shtick, but her face brightened again as Reyna placed a hand on her shoulder, like she was a dead flashlight that had just gotten new batteries. (Nico held back a snort at that analogy.)

"Is everyone ready to start, then?" Reyna smiled over at Nico with a little wink. "Since we're all acquainted."

"Sure, I'm ready." Lou hopped off her stool with renewed enthusiasm, followed by Reyna and Cecil—who was so tired he looked like he needed to chug about twelve liters of Mountain Dew just to summon the willpower to stand up—and began parading their party through the crowd back towards the laser tag room with a little too much gusto. "Follow me, little chickies! We'll be there in no time. Geez and crackers, it's like a jungle in here. Stay close to me, Rey-Rey: You might get lost."

"I can and _will_ punch you if you call me that again."

"Ha, you're funny! I love it when they play hard to get."

* * *

 **A/N:** Wow I suck at keeping promises to update RIP ;-; I'm sorry I took so long to get this out, guys. I kept writing little pieces at a time but I finally made myself sit down and finish this chapter. I hope you guys like it, and yes, I am shipping Lou with Reyna now XD Also my favorite line in this chapter is 'Geez and crackers.' (Have I invented the perfect swear? Probably.) Feel free to comment some of your favorite lines from the story because I'd love a blast from the past.

Anyway, remember to follow and favorite if you enjoy the story, and please review to hassle me into getting this done because I'm garbage at updating. Also, let me know any mistakes and I'll correct them whenever I can.

Hugs to all of you and Merry Christmas! ^-^

 **Translations;**

 **-** Come hai dormito? = How did you sleep?

 **-** Scusa. = Sorry.

 **-** Velmi stylové. = Very stylish. (Another language is added to William's repertoire, yay.)


End file.
